Media Statement (2) by Lim Kit Siang in Petaling Jaya on Wednesday, 22^nd April 2009: 

Election Commission and BN leaders talking about “unnecessary by-elections” just because BN is on a losing streak

The Election Commission and Barisan Nasional leaders are talking about “unnecessary by-elections” and even to amend laws to prevent them because the Barisan Nasional is on a losing streak after the March 8 general election “political tsunami” last year.

If the Barisan Nasional had won all the five by-elections held since the general elections last year, and is on a winning streak, neither the Election Commission nor the Barisan Nasional leaders hogging the media now about “unnecessary by-elections” would have uttered a single word!

I find it shocking that the Election Commission Chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd has told Sin Chew Daily that the Election Commission is very serious about silly proposals to amend current elections laws to impose monetary penalty of RM100,000 or higher to prevent such “unnecessary by-elections” except in cases of death, illness or other conditions causing MPs or Assemblymen to be unfit to perform their duties.

Abdul Aziz should focus the energies of the Election Commission on reforms of election laws and the electoral system to eradicate the loopholes and blemishes which have marred the holding of free, fair, clean and democratic elections instead of dancing to the tune of Barisan Nasional leaders who are afraid of contesting in the Penanti by-election.

If the Election Commission wants to pass judgments on whether elected representatives should resign or not for by-elections to be held, let Abdul Aziz state his stand on the two following cases:

1. Whether he agrees with the conduct of the three Perak State Assembly persons who have not dared to return to the constituencies for close to three months because they had betrayed the trust of the electorate when they defected from their respective parties to effect the unethical, undemocratic, illegal and unconstitutional power grab in Perak.

Does Abdul Aziz agree that these three Perak Assembly members, Jelapang assemblywoman Hee Yit Foong, Behrang assemblyman Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi and Changkat Jering assemblyman Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu should resign to cause by-elections to be held to return the mandate to the voters when they even dare not walk their constituencies let alone serve their constituents?

2. The Barisan Nasional MP for Kulai, Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting has clearly lost “heart” and interest to continue as the MP for the area after the MCA’s thrashing in the March general election political tsunami last year.

This is why he is not to seen in the constituency or heard in Parliament after giving up his position as MCA President. Does the Election Commission agree that if Ka Ting wants to resign as Kulai MP, it is most proper that a by-election be held so as not to continue to deny the Kulai voters effective parliamentary representation?

If Abdul Aziz is not prepared to give his stand on these cases, what moral right has he and the Election Commission to pass judgment as to whether the Penanti by-election is “unnecessary” or otherwise?

*Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary leader & MP for Ipoh Timor