Appointment of new EC man against PH-BN’s pledges, says Bersih
Electoral watchdog Bersih cites the GE15 election manifestos of PH and BN which promised to strengthen institutional integrity.
PETALING JAYA: Electoral watchdog Bersih has slammed the government over the recent appointment of an Election Commission (EC) commissioner, saying it goes against the election pledges made by both Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN).
Bersih said Sapdin Ibrahim’s appointment as an EC commissioner was made without parliamentary review, making Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the unity government appear insincere about implementing institutional reforms.
“The 15th promise in PH’s ‘Buku Harapan’ manifesto for the 15th general election (GE15) was to strengthen institutional integrity.
“It stated that appointments to key positions such as those in the EC, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and police need to be reviewed by Parliament first.
“The same promise was also stated in BN’s ‘Plan of Action and Effort’ document, which was its manifesto for GE15,” it said in a statement.
Bersih said Putrajaya could take corrective measures by immediately establishing a parliamentary committee to revamp the appointment process of the EC chief, as its current chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh is set to retire soon.
It added that the parliamentary committee should comprise MPs from both the government and opposition blocs as they set out a clear process and criteria for the appointment of EC chiefs.
Bersih said the EC chief must not be associated with any political party, and should have knowledge of election-related matters and a clean record in terms of criminal and electoral offences.
“If this is not implemented, the Madani government and prime minister can no longer use the word ‘reform’, which so far has been nothing more than lip service.”
Last month, the Undi18 movement also urged the government to appoint an electoral expert with significant experience working on electoral reforms as the next EC chairman.
It said the government must appoint the incoming chairman “wisely”, especially as the looming vacancy comes at a critical time for Malaysia, with the delineation of electoral boundaries in Sarawak (ongoing), Sabah (2025), and Peninsular Malaysia (2026).