PH Government Should Show
Direction in Their Commitment
to Reformation and
Implement Electoral Reforms in
Phases Without Further Delay
◆Joint Statement by 4 NGOs (based in JB)◆
On 27th June 2019, representatives from several Johor Bahru (JB) based NGOs attended the engagement programme organised by the Electoral Reform Committee (ERC).
The government set up the ERC to look into electoral reform last August under the Prime Minister’s office (PMO). It is chaired by Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman, a former chairman of the Election Commission. In reviewing all aspects of the elections, ERC was also tasked to obtain feedback and suggestions from various parties, particularly stakeholders such as political parties, NGOs and voters, among others. Currently conducting roadshows to gauge public opinion, ERC has two years from August 2018 to complete their task and prepare recommendations for the government.
The attendees of this particular programme held in JB were of diverse social backgrounds ranging from politicians, political parties, activists, NGOs, SPR, police to academicians and even university students.
While we appreciate the effort made by ERC to organise such a programme, it seems that many of the issues were not discussed in-depth, probably due to the diverse backgrounds of the attendees and lack of expertise or skills of some facilitators to lead discussion. Some facilitators even spent a little time only giving introduction about electoral reform followed by random talk for the rest of the session which had very minimal relevance to the electoral reform topic. The electoral reform feedback which ERC requested invited groups to submit a week before this engagement programme were not being discussed nor mentioned during the programme. ERC must ensure effective and appropriate use of resources so as not to fall short of achieving the desired results.
Most of all, there is an urgent need to reform the electoral system bearing in mind that many reforms had already been proposed in the past. For example, the 2012 Parliamentary Report of the Special Select Committee on Electoral Reforms.
Using another two good years to produce another report with no specific timeframe for implementation would point to a sad lack of political will on the part of the government.
Out of the 15 components for electoral reform identified by ERC, there are a few which can be changed or implemented without committees and constitutional changes. For example, Voter and Democracy Education, Plans and programmes to educate especially young Malaysians can be immediately worked on. Civic education opportunities can be created especially in school. These opportunities range from social studies classes to simulations of democratic processes and discussion of current issues. The purpose is to create a well-informed society and to promote electoral participation. As the government has tabled a motion in Parliament to amend the Federal Constitution to lower the voting age, voter education has become even more urgent and crucial.
We request ERC and the PH (Pakatan Harapan) government to work collaboratively:
- (1) To implement those components for electoral reform which can be changed/implemented without committees and constitutional changes soonest possible.
- (2) To provide the public a roadmap for all components of electoral reform, putting in milestones to regularly check the progress of the reform.
PH government shall be aware that the people have learned from their own experience over the past 14 general elections since independence that: 1. The Elections Act, election system and procedures of our country are unreasonable and deceptive; 2. So long as the unreasonable and deceptiveness of the election implemented by the ruling clique still exists, the broad masses will not be able to elect representatives who truly safeguard the interests of the people; 3. Electoral reform is a political issue rather than an administrative deviation. People of all ethnic communities may only live a better life if they unite to oppose the “rules of the game” of election which are unjust and deceptive.
If the leaders of PH government, allow themselves as the representatives and defenders of the interests of the people to become the ruling tool of the new regime to oppress the people, then the people will reject the PH government as how they stood resolute against the BN regime in the 14th General Election.
希盟政府须展示改革决心
马上分阶段推动选举改革
◆柔佛新山4民间组织联合声明◆
2019年6月27日，几个来自柔佛州新山的非政府组织的代表出席了一项由选举改革委员会（Election Reform Committee-ERC）所组织的会议。
选举改革委员会是去年8月政府在首相办公室之下成立的，专门负责研究选举改革相关事宜。选委会前主席阿都拉昔（Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman）接受委任担任该委员会主席。选举改革委员会除了负责审视选举相关的方方面面，还负有收集社会各界对选举改革的反馈和建议的任务，特别是政党、非政府组织和选民等利益相关方的意见。目前，该委员会在全国各地举办会议，以收集公众对选举改革的看法。选举改革委员会必须在两年内完成任务，向政府提交一份报告。
选举改革委员会在新山举办的会议的参与者来自不同的社会背景，其中包括政治人物、政党代表、社会活跃分子、非政府组织代表、选举委员会、警察、学者以及大学生。
尽管我们对选举改革委员会组织此类会议所做的努力表示赞赏，但，可能受到参与者的多元背景以及某些委员会专员缺乏引导讨论的专业知识或技能所限，许多课题似乎都无法有效的进行深入的探讨。部分选举改革委员会的专员只是非常简单介绍了选举改革相关内容后，大部分时间是在漫谈。漫谈内容大部分和选举改革并无关联。会议也没有提及事前向各个与会团体收集的选举改革书面建议，更遑论有机会进行讨论。选举改革委员会必须确保有效和适当地使用资源，才能避免出现事半功倍的结果。
最重要的是，考虑到政府已经掌握了许多有见地的选举改革的建议，例如2012年选举改革特别委员会向国会提呈的报告等，我们认为政府迫切需要开始推展选举制度的改革。再花两年的时间撰写另一份没有具体实施的时间表的报告，只会显示出政府缺乏改革我国选举制度的政治意愿。
在选举改革委员会划定的15项改革主轴中，有一些是能在无需另设委员会和修改宪法的情况下实施的。 譬如选民教育和民主教育，特别是针对我国年轻人的教育计划可以立即开展。也可以在学校创造公民教育机会。这些教育课程包含认识社会、模拟民主进程和时事课题探讨等。其目的是建立一个资讯广泛流通的社会，并促进国民积极参与到选举过程里面来。随着政府正式启动降低投票年龄的修法程序，选民教育变得比任何时候都更为迫切和重要。
我们要求选举改革委员会和希望联盟（Pakatan Harapan）政府联手：
1、尽快实施那些可以在没有另设委员会和宪法修改的情况下进行的选举改革方案。
2、尽快公布实施全面性选举改革的规划案，并为规划案设置里程碑以定期检验改革进展。
希盟政府应该言行一致，莫要违背自己在大选前所许下的推动民主改革、改善人民生活的承诺。人民受够了政客们的空口承诺和华丽却空洞的说辞。
希盟政府应该意识到，广大群众已经从独立以来14次全国大选实践中认识到：1、我国的议会选举法令、制度与程序的不合理和欺骗性；2、由统治集团实施的不合理和欺骗性的议会选举继续存在一天，就没有选出真正维护人民利益的代表的一天；3、选举改革是政治问题而不是行政偏差，各族被压迫人民只有团结起来，反掉不合理和欺骗性的议会选举“游戏规则”，才有机会改善自己的生活。
如果希盟的当权领袖们从作为人民利益的代表人和维护者，摇身变成新统治集团欺压人民的统治工具，届时人民必当以第14次大选唾弃国阵统治的决心来对待蜕变了的希盟政府。
Endorsed by 联署单位:
1. ENGAGE 愿景工程 (Engage.my@gmail.com)
2. Johor People’s Action Group (JPAG) 柔佛人民行动小组 (clsmpc@gmail.com)
3. Johor Yellow Flame (Johor) 柔南黄色行动小组 (johoryellowflame@gmail.com)
4. Sahabat Rakyat 人民之友 மக்கள் தோழர்கள் (sahabatrakyat.my@gmail.com)
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