http://thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?col=questiontime&file=/2011/8/17/columnists/questiontime/9311563&sec=Question Time
The managing editor cum columnist of the Staronline, Mr P. Gunasegaram, has wide embracing ideas to contribute towards the impending election reform, as presented in the above reference. For those who have not read the column, the gist of the article is appended below:
It is necessary for the Election Commission (EC) to come up with a system which clearly shows that there is no hanky-panky. It has to work closely with all parties – the Government, opposition, observers, civil rights groups etc – to show that its systems are beyond reproach barring the occasional human mistake.
But really, there is a simpler way – do away with voter registration altogether. We have one of the most sophisticated identity cards in the world with all relevant information contained in one single chip. All we have to do is to use this for voting.
It kills two birds with one stone – there is no need to register which means more people become entitled to vote and you don’t have to worry about electoral rolls anymore. If you have an identity card and you are old enough, you can vote.
To improve greater participation of the public in elections, it would be necessary to consider some other measures as well in addition to automatic registration. These include making voting compulsory for those eligible and to lower the voting age to 18 from 21. If people can go to jail for offences at 18, it stands to reason that they should be allowed to vote as well.
Then there is the voting process and ensuring that this is done with no doubt as to the accuracy of the results. For voting at the polling booths, the EC has already implemented a system with observers from all parties which is pretty watertight. Counting takes place at the polling station immediately after voting is finished making it impossible for boxes to be stuffed.
This is a simple, effective system that should be emulated throughout Malaysia. Ballot boxes must not be moved from the voting stations. In elections in some places in Sarawak recently, it was reported that ballot boxes were moved. That should not be permitted under the procedures.
Of greater concern perhaps are postal votes, especially those from uniformed services such as the army and police. The select committee should look at this process carefully because lots of allegations have been made in the past.
It would also be necessary to see how voters who are abroad at the time of elections – students and those working overseas for instance - can participate in the election process without compromising safeguards and without abuse of the process.
A key issue to consider is that of proportional representation. If one constituency has one-tenth the voters of another, that is not proportional representation and may result in some of the populace effectively getting greater representation and others getting less.
If a person or party loses after obtaining 49% of the votes, it does not mean he has no support but the first-past-the-post system ignores this. Ways and means have to be sought to ensure that there is some sort of proportional representation for political parties, perhaps in the Senate where representation can be given to political parties based on the percentage of the popular vote they garner.
Other issues centre on election spending. It would be necessary to impose spending limits for the various candidates and for everyone to disclose their funding and how they raise it. That would help to ensure that elections are not excessively tilted in favour of those who have a lot of money.
At every election, parties and candidates are interested in getting across their views and positions to voters. That means candidates and parties need to have more equal access to media coverage and a longer campaign period. This will be among the sticking points the select committee will have to look at.
Some post-election issues should also be considered as well. The committee has to look at the problem of party hopping and answer honestly the question of whether this should be allowed because the one who hops disregards the voter’s original intentions.
Clearly then, there is much for the select committee to discuss and some of the issues involved are rather contentious and will take some fixing.
But if some broad parameters are agreed, such as promoting free and fair elections among an informed public, then it will not be too difficult a task to agree on some solutions at least.
This is an opportunity for reform and it is time for the politicians to put aside their alignment – difficult, yes, but not impossible.
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