15 reforms on the table for ERC
Committee to study proposals for two years before submitting it to the govt
PUTRAJAYA: Fifteen items are on the agenda for the Electoral Reform Committee (ERC), among which is the registration of political parties, election funding mechanisms and the revamp of the Election Commission (EC), says ERC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman.
He said the EC must be reformed so that it would be a credible body to conduct elections in a “free, fair and transparent” manner.
“Our study includes (the study of ) the electoral management body, which is the EC, with the purpose of strengthening and empowering the body to conduct elections,” he said in a press conference yesterday.
Abdul Rashid, who is the former EC chairman, added that the committee is studying if it should take away the authority from the Registrar of Societies (RoS) to register political parties and if the country should move away from the first-past-the-post voting system to a proportional representation system.
The formation of a caretaker government after Parliament is dissolved would also be looked into, he said.
Models of electoral laws and systems from other countries such as Australia and New Zealand would be examined, he added.
When asked about the controversy surrounding his appointment as ERC chairman, Abdul Rashid, who is Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia vice-president, said he was appointed for the role although he did not ask for it.
“Other people wanted this role. Unfortunately, I was appointed. I didn’t ask for this job.
“I think the government considered me because they see me as someone who can deliver and because of my background,” he added.
Abdul Rashid said the ERC would have 18 members from relevant organisations in its committee.
The committee would study reforms for two years before submitting it to the government, he said, and until then all by-elections and state elections would run as they currently do.
Other members in the committee include National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) chairman Wan Saiful Wan Jan and Institut Darul Ehsan’s deputy chairman Datuk Prof Redzuan Othman, although more people, such as political analyst Dr Wong Chin Huat, are being approached to join the committee.
It is understood that representatives from electoral watchdog Bersih and Merdeka Centre would also be invited to join the committee.
On Aug 16, the Prime Minister’s Office announced that the ERC was set up to review election laws and systems in Malaysia.