EC dismisses claims of manipulating election system
PUTRAJAYA: The Election Commission (EC) has dismissed allegations that the election system and redelineation of electoral boundaries are designed to favour certain political parties in the coming general election.
EC chairman Tan Sri Mohd Hashim Abdullah said all the systems – registration of voters, conduct of elections and redelineation of electoral boundaries – were transparent and fair.
“The EC will not be cowed by these criticisms in its commitment
Tan Sri Mohd Hashim Abdullah
to conducting the 14th General Election in a transparent and fair manner, and by complying with all the legislative processes relating to elections,” he said in a statement yesterday.
“The EC insists that there is no manipulation of the election system or redelineation of electoral boundaries for GE14.
“The EC will not compromise with any quarters that try to sabotage the election process that will take place,” he said.
Mohd Hashim was commenting on an article titled “How Malaysia’s Next Election Will Be Rigged” published on March 8 by The Economist.
He said the allegations in the article were baseless and intended to confuse the people.
On the redelineation of electoral boundaries, he said the exercise was done not in political interests, but in the interest of and for the convenience of voters, and to facilitate the service of the elected representatives.
“The question of the victory or defeat of candidates depends on their efforts to win the hearts of the people,” he added.
He said the history of elections had proven that redelineation was not the determining factor in the victory of any candidate as this was decided by the voters as had happened in Selangor, Penang, Kelantan, Kedah, Terengganu and Perak, which had been administered by the Opposition despite the election system having remained the same.
Mohd Hashim said gerrymandering and malapportionment were often used as excuses by certain quarters to blame the EC for allegedly delineateing a constituency with the aim of giving victory to a particular party. — Bernama
The EC will not be cowed by y these criticisms.