Government must respond to dubious voter claims, says Ambiga
By Boo Su-Lyn
KUALA LUMPUR, May 2 – Bersih co-chair Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan demanded the government today to address allegations of foreigners from East Malaysia being transported to the peninsula to vote in the May 5 polls.
Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim claimed earlier today that the Election Commission (EC) and the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) were involved in flying in more than 40,000 dubious voters from Sabah and Sarawak to key states in the peninsula recently.
“Silence in these instances is not an option,” said Ambiga at a forum with Steve Teoh, who is the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the Cheras federal seat, here today.
“We expect a response from the airline responsible and from the caretaker government,” added the polls watchdog leader.
Anwar has said that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has “credible” documentary evidence that groups of foreigners have been brought in on 16 daily chartered flights, including the usage of a Boeing 747, since April 25.
Ambiga said today that the EC has not prevented corruption in Election 2013, pointing out that Bersih has received reports of vote-buying in what is considered the most hotly contested election since independence.
“On nomination day, monies were handed over,” she said.
The prominent lawyer and activist also urged the EC to reveal the guidelines on the election ink, after doubts arose over the quality of the ink – which is supposed to be indelible to prevent double voting – when several people claimed that the stains on their fingers could be easily washed off.
She further criticised the EC for refusing to address the PR Selangor government’s complaints that 28 per cent of the 440,000 newly registered voters in the state could not be identified.
“They should be happy that people are helping to clean up the roll,” said Ambiga.
She also pointed out that BN should not use the 1 Malaysia logo in its campaigns because 1 Malaysia is a government policy.
“BN cannot use the 1 Malaysia logo because the money spent building that logo come from us,” said Ambiga.
Caretaker Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is the face of BN’s campaign, as shown by banners and billboards bearing his image and the 1 Malaysia logo throughout the country.
Teoh, who will be contesting against DAP incumbent Tan Kok Wai, agreed that political parties should have fair access to the media, after several people in the audience complained about the purported bias of mainstream media against PR.
“Coverage of both sides should be fair enough to both,” he said.
