Press Statement by YB Wong Kah Woh, the State Assemblyman for Canning and DAP Perak Publicity Secretary on 30.07.2011 (Sunday) at the “Yellow Saturday” Campaign Pasar Besar Ipoh, Perak:
It is imminent for the BN Government and the Election Commission to accept and implement the 8 Demands for a Clean and Fair Election as proposed by Bersih with a view to improve and reform the electoral system in the country and to restore the confidence of the People in the democracy system.
The DAP Kinta Valley reps were here in Pasar Besar, Ipoh this morning kicking off the Kinta-Valley wide campaign of a Post-Bersih electoral reform campaign. Those who are presence include YB M Kula (MP for Ipoh Barat), myself (Canning), YB V Sivakumar (Tronoh), YB Shum Cheok Leng (Bercham), YB Lim Pek Har (Menglembu), Human Rights lawyer Sdr. Augustine Anthony, Mulan’s Branch Chairlady Sdr. Wong Chee Yen and the members from various service team in Kinta Valley. It is notable that everyone were presence in yellow shirt in support of a “Yellow Saturday” and this had led to a wave of yellow in the market itself.
As part of the “Yellow Saturday” campaign, the DAP Kinta Valley reps will be having programmes and walkabout every Saturday in the designated areas in every State Seat of Kinta Valley. We hope that we can create more awareness of the people on the importance and Clean and Fair Election and to let the people understand the truth that cannot be covered at the peaceful rally on 9th July 2011.
The Election Commission had presented some proposals for the improvement of the electoral system in the country. However, we can hardly see the proposals such as the biometric identification system and the repositioning of the postal balloting by the name advance voting will carry any weight in the improvement of the electoral system or bring to a total reform of the system.
As far as the biometrical identification is concerned, there are fear of manipulation of the system and it will also involve gigantic cost. The indelible ink system which was supposed to be implemented in the last General Election and as proposed in the 8 Electoral Reform Demands by Bersih will be a better and more practical choice with a much lower cost.
At the same time, the introduction of advance voting system in place of postal balloting provides no difference between the two. The shifting and manipulation of the numbers of arm-forces votes can still be easily done by the authority, with the latest example of the Draft 2011 2nd Quarter Electoral Roll where the there is drastic unjustifiable increase of the postal votes in the past 3 months in Ipoh Timur and Canning. This has further reaffirmed the importance of another demand for a clean and fair electoral system, the reform in the postal votes.
We urge the people to join and support our event of “Yellow Saturday”, by wearing anything in yellow every Saturday.
WONG KAH WOH
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