Democratic Fervor

In Malaysia, voting during the General Elections is NOT something that is mandatory. Hence as an extension of this then it makes sense that automatic registration of voters is also not ON.

Shouldn’t it though?

It is one thing to be registered, and another to actually vote. For one, you have to be - theoretically, at least, what’s with allegations of Hantu voters popping up every time the election comes – physically present to do the latter.

Apparently, there is an estimated 3.6 million people who are still unregistered as voters.

Huge concern thus. HUGE.

Thus, looking at the response so far from the Barisan Nasional, urm, fellas (EC deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar, excluded, of course) to the Selangor State government’s “SelangorkuBersih” campaign, you’d be forgiven to scratch your head and go: Huh?

The campaign aims to verify the voters listed and, can along the way help to persuade those who haven't registered to do so.

After all, why wouldn’t the Selangor State Government want to help out in registering the still unregistered 600k or so other Selangorians?

If these 600K non registered ones want to, that is.

Since neither voting nor registering as a voter is mandatory, it is really their choice, no?

But if they do wish to do so; and just don’t have neither the opportunity nor the means or the time to put pen to registration papers, then the “Selangorku Bersih” campaign is just plain haven sent.

 As Selangor has the highest number of unregistered voters, surely the EC will relish all the help it can get, shouldn’t it?

Saves the EC to concentrate its efforts on the other 3 million unregistered ones.

Out of curiosity, how does the EC verify the voters’ particulars and voting constituencies?

Take me, for instance.

I registered God knows how long ago as a voter in the Pandan Parliamentary constituency and except for the 2004 General Election, I have not had the opportunity to vote due to work and locality constraints.

Was I ever, urm, verified throughout the three General Elections including those in 1999 and 2008?

Until but recently when I changed my voting particulars, I was still very much a voter in Pandan.

It does seem that the verification of a voter's particulars is very much up to the individual voter’s own efforts, with the EC, urm, facilitating the data entry.

So, how would the EC verify something like this highlighted instance in suspicion arousing duplicating facts?

After all, outside of the particular locality's locals, how will one know who’s who? Asking for someone’s identity papers is just plain criminal for anyone other than  the authorities.

It could well be a sheer stroke of pure coincidence of which the door to door, house to house, “Selangorku Bersih” campaign could help prove and, without a doubt, VERIFY.

Or not, since the voters – any voter for that matter - could also say: “No, I will not allow myself to be verified”.

Something which the “SelangorkuBersih” campaign detractors seem to be pushing for.

Or not. Perhaps it’s nothing more than the fervor of DEMOCRATIC IDEALS.

Yep. That’s probably IT. 

Uphill Gostanning

"The officers' misconduct violated regulations, so we're in the process of asking them to explain the allegations against them," said MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Abu Kassim Mohamed, according to Bernama.

Is “in the process of” the formalspeak of the more familiar “on the way” informalspeak?

“On the way”, by the way, is a way overused phrased which does not specify the when-about, the how-about or the where-abouts of its utterer to, usually, the question of: “Where are you?”

The officers’ in the above statement, of course, refers to the trio found by a Royal Commission Inquiry as having “driven to commit suicide by the aggressive and relentless interrogation” one Teoh Beng Hock (RIP), the former political aide to Selangor Exco, Ean Yong Hian Wah.

That was nearly three years ago (minus three months or so) on July 16, 2009 when the late Teoh was found dead at Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam.

Three years after the tragic incident and they are still “in the process”.

The RCI perhaps? Ah yes, the RCI.

But shouldn’t there be an internal procedure dealing with cases of death - especially one so suspicious – of accused (more so when involving a mere witness) in custody? Isn’t this supposed to be an automatic trigger for ALL legitimate enforcement bodies throughout the world?

They were suspended: Yep. So, weren’t there any “explanation” made then?

Really can’t recall if all three officers had their say during the RCI. If they had, then having another round of explaining is surely an exercise of repetitively recurring redundancy.

And, if they were suspended pre-RCI finding, what other “disciplinary actions” can be taken against the trio based on their explanations, which I supposed would be “on the way”?

By the way, according to Bernama, all three officers’ suspension has since been lifted and they are no longer with the Selangor office.

The wheels of justice are really “in the process” of turning in this one.