Lim Kit Siang. – File photo
KUALA LUMPUR (Mar 26): Election Commission (EC) chairman Datuk Abdullah Ghani Salleh should resign for being unable to fulfill the Parliament mandate in allowing Malaysians aged 18 and above to vote in the upcoming general election (GE15), said DAP leader Lim Kit Siang.
Lim said the deferment was unconstitutional and a violation of the Parliament’s mandate which was made in July 2019 and then gazetted in September 2019.
“It is not only a fundamental violation of Parliament’s mandate, but it is an abysmal example of Election Commission’s incompetence and ineptitude that it could not ensure that Malaysians who have reached 18 years of age could cast their vote in the next general election after it had been passed by Parliament for more than two years,” said Lim in a statement today.
“This is a fundamental breach of Pakatan Harapan’s pledge as there could be no doubt that if not for the Sheraton Move which ushered in a ‘backdoor’ government at the end of February 2020, Malaysians who have reached 18 years would be able to cast their vote in the 15th general election,” he said.
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He said that the inability to carry out the implementation of Undi18, including automatic voter registration for the next general election was unacceptable and the Election Commission chairman would be guilty of a dismissal offence if Parliament had not been suspended.
“Nonetheless, Abdul Ghani Salleh should have the integrity and honour to resign as chairman of the Election Commission since he cannot comply with Parliament’s commitment to lower the age of voting to 18 years old in the next general election,” he said.
Many parties from both sides have been calling for GE15 as soon as possible but Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has said that the country is still at risk of Covid-19.
He has promised to call the election once the pandemic has died down.
Meanwhile, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan told Parliament in November last year that the implementation of the 18-year-old voting age and automatic voter registration was expected to commence at the latest by July this year.
Yesterday, the Election Commission announced they had to postpone the implementation of Undi18, including automatic voter registration to September 1, next year.
Lim took the current government to task for several national developments lately including harsh fines of RM10,000 for individuals and RM50,000 for companies for breach of the movement control order and breach of Covid-19 SOPs; double standards for ministers who breach the SOPs, failure for Parliament to convene despite a proclamation from the Agong that it is allowed during the State of Emergency, failure to inform the former Cabinet of terrorist threats against senior government officials including the then prime Mminister and refusal to register new political parties Pejuang and Muda.
“And now, the decision to violate the Parliamentary mandate to allow Malaysians above 18 years age to vote in the next general election.
“Can Malaysians take a united stand against kakistocracy as they have taken a united stand against kleptocracy?” he asked. – Malay Mail
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