Delineation exercise for Kota Melaka parliamentary constituency: Challenge to EC stays as EC’s Chairman’s reply unsatisfactory and unacceptable

(Petaling Jaya, Friday): Accompanied by DAPSY leaders Sdr Loke Siew Fook, Sdr John Chung and Sdr Au Yong Hian Wah, I had yesterday submitted a letter of challenge to all seven members of the Election Commission (EC) through the EC Secretary’s office.

Speaking to the media after the submission, I said that if I did not receive any response from the EC within seven days, I would have no choice but to take further actions, including making appeals to the Yang di Pertuan Agung as all the members of the EC are appointed by the Yang di Pertuan Agung.

I also said that should a meeting between the EC and I take place, I would bring up questions as to how a Barisan Nasional Minsiter was able to publicly reveal details of the constituency delineation exercise for his constituency three months before the EC had displayed the initial proposals in August.2002.

I would also demand explanations why EC ‘s proposals to increase one parliamentary and three state constituencies for the state of Melaka matched the public hopes made by a State MCA leader four months before the public display of the EC ‘s initial proposals.

I wish today to respond to the explanations given by the EC Chairman Datuk Abdul Rashid with regard to my challenge to all seven members of the EC. His explanations were reported in page 2 of yesterday’s New Straits Times.

Datuk Rashid said that those who were unhappy with the delineation exercise could voice their dissatisfaction through their respective Members of Parliament when it was tabled in Parliament.

Such an answer is totally unacceptable, as Rashid should not forget that he was the one who threw the challenge to any political party or NGO to argue their cases out with him. Such an answer only gives the conclusion that he is trying to run away from meeting those who have accepted his challenge. Perak DAP State Chairman Ngeh Koo Ham has also wanted to see Datuk Rashid to argue the Perak DAP cases.

Let me remind Datuk Rashid that it he himself who has made the challenge, and it is therefore he himself who must face anyone who has accepted his challenge. Rashid must not run away by kicking the ball to the Parliament.

It will be most shameful if there is any attempt to try to get the Barisan Nasional’s brute majority to bulldoze a delineation that the EC is not prepared to publicly justify upon challenge, especially after the EC Chairman himself has made an open challenge for anyone to meet him and argue their cases out.

Datuk Rashid said that in my letter to him, I had failed to come up with a counter proposal which could grant a representation to be made and enable the EC to conduct a local enquiry.

The important point here is –on what grounds has the EC decided that my four counter proposals do not warrant a local enquiry ?

I also wish to know what factors and criteria were taken into consideration when the EC itself came up with the initial proposals in the delineation for the Kota Melaka parliamentary seat? Then on what grounds that the EC has accepted the Melaka State government’s counter proposals which are seen as designed to weaken DAP’s stronghold?

Datuk Rashid must be prepared to explain why 113 Kota Melaka voters who have submitted their objections against the Melaka state government ‘s counter proposals in accordance with the requirements as stated in the Federal Constitution were not given a hearing?

What are the guidelines set by the EC when it decides whether a submission made in accordance with the Federal Constitution can be rejected without even a prior local enquiry?

Can Rashid explain why the EC hold the view that the proposals submitted by the Melaka state government are so good and convincing that the EC was prepared even to abandon its own recommendations after the initial display?

Can Rashid explain why he is so convinced by the Melaka state government ‘s counter proposals that he has rejected my four counter proposals and the views of 113 Kota Melaka voters submitted after the second round of display, And worse, why has EC made the rejection without any prior hearing?

I presume Datuk Rashid must be very confident about the fairness of his decisions with regard to the delineation exercise and all other maters relating to EC that he was prepared to throw such an open challenge to any political party and NGO to meet him and argue their cases out. It s therefore totally puzzling that he is now trying to run away from meeting m e.

I also wish to clarify that I have not received any reply from Datuk Rashid with regard to all the questions which I have raised since accepting his challenge on 24.2 2003.

6.3.2003

Kepada:

Datuk Pengerusi dan Semua Ahli Suruhanjaya Pilihanraya

Melalui,
Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar ,
Setiausaha ,
Suruhanjaya Pilihanraya ,
Putrajaya.

Yang Berbahagia Datuk-Datuk dan Tuan-Tuan,

Cabaran untuk mengadakan satu pertemuan dengan SPR untuk mendengar justifikasi SPR berkaitan persempadanan semula kawasan pilihanraya Parlimen Kota Melaka.
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Dengan segala hormatnya saya ingin merujuk kepada perkara tersebut dan dengan ini saya melampirkan tiga kenyataan akhbar yang telah saya keluarkan pada 24.2.2003, 27.2.2003 dan 3.3.2003.

Semua kenyataan akbar ini telah saya hantar kepada Datuk Pengerusi melalui faks. Kenyataan-kenyataan akhbar ini dapat menerangkan maksudnya dengan sendiri.

Kegagalan Datuk Pengerusi untuk menunaikan janjinya untuk mengadakan pertemuan dengan sesiapa yang telah menerima cabaran terbukanya adalah mengecewakan dan tidak boleh difahami .

Kesunyian Datuk Pengerusi adalah aneh dan tidak dapat diterima langsung. Datuk Pengerusi dan semua ahli SPR memang sedar bahawa perkara yang mustahak dalam isu ini ialah kesunyaian Pengerusi SPR akan membawa implikasi yang besar, terutama sekali dalam aspek berikut:

Kredibiliti dan imej Datuk Pengerusi dan SPR akan terjejas.
Hak dan kepentingan rakyat serta pemilih kawasan Kota Melaka akan terjejas.
Keyakinan orang ramai terhadap SPR akan merosot dan segala persepsi negatif orang ramai terhadap SPR akan bertambah

Saya ingin menegaskan bahawa cabaran sebenarnya dibuat oleh Datuk Pengerusi sendiri. Saya terpaksa membuat cabaran ini setelah Datuk Pengerusi gagal membuat apa-apa maklum balas terhadap permintaan saya untuk mengadakan satu pertemuan untuk menyelesaikan tiga perkara mustahak dan pokok berkenaan dengan persempadanan semula kawasan pilihanraya Parlimen Kota Melaka.

Perkara 114 ( 2) Perlembagaan Persekutuan berbunyi; “ Pada melantik ahli ahli Suruhanjaya Pilihanraya , Yang di Pertuan Agong hendaklah memandang kepada mustahaknya diadakan suatu Suruhanjaya Piliharaya yang mendapat kepercayaan awam.”

Perkara-perkara yang saya ingin mendapat jawapan yang memuaskan daripada SPR adalah perkara yang mustahak dan termasuk hak seseorang pemilih di bawah Seksyen 5 Bahagian II Jadual Ketigabelas Perlembagaan Persekutuan. Maka, bagaimanakah kepercayan orang ramai terhadap SPR dapat dikekalkan sekiranya cabaran daripada Datuk Pengerusi yang telah saya terima dibalas dengan kesunyian sahaja.

Saya terpaksa membuat cabaran kepada Datuk Penerusi dan semua ahli SPR untuk mengadakan satu pertemuan dengan saya untuk menjustifikasikan keputusan SPR dalam persempadanan semula kawasan pilihanraya Parlimen Kota Melaka, terutama sekali untuk memberikan jawapan yang lengkap dan memuaskan berkenaan tiga perkara berikut:

Apakah faktor dan kriteria yang telah diambilkira oleh SPR dalam syor-syor asalnya?

Apakah rayuan dan bantahan yang telah dikemukakan oleh Kerajaan Negeri Melaka yang telah menyebabkan SPR, dalam suatu tindakan yang menyimpang dari amalan tradisinya, membuat pindaan yang besar kepada syor asalnya?

Walaupun seramai 113 orang pemilih dalam kawasan Parlimen Kota Melaka telah menyampaikan bantahan mereka terhadap pindaan keatas syor asal mengikut provisi Seksyen 5 Bahagian II Jadual Ketigabeals Perlembagaan Persekutuan, apakah sebabnya SPR telah menolak bantahan mereka tanpa mengadakan satu siasatan tempatan?

Saya berharap satu jawapan yang awal dapat diberikan oleh pihak SPR.

Yang benar,

Kerk Kim Hock
Setiausaha Agung – DAP Malaysia
Ahli Dewan Rakyat –Kawasan Kota Melaka.