Call for volunteers to observe Kajang poll

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections (MAFREL) has started recruiting volunteers to help it observe the Kajang by-election.
MAFREL chairman Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh told a press conference today that his group would observe polling at all 15 voting centres and planned to deploy between 25 and 30 volunteers to serve as static and mobile observers.

He invited interested members of the public to register as volunteers by contacting MAFREL official Arphan Ahmad by telephone (012-2731016) or email (arphanahmad@gmail.com ).

He said MAFREL would monitor “all aspects of the election process” from nomination day to polling day, focusing closely on the following:

Corrupt practices such as vote buying and abuse of public resources;

The level of security provided by police and other authorities;

Incidents of violent and dangerous acts such as the use of hate speech and racist campaigning.

Syed Ibrahim criticised “certain political parties” for embarking on their campaigns before nomination day, which is tomorrow.

“We are disturbed that certain political parties have already begun campaigning even before the nomination day,” he said. “This is in direct violation of the Election Act, which prohibits any form of campaigning or publicity works being carried out before the nomination day.”

He urged the Election Commission (EC) as well as the police to be impartial in performing their duties.

He also suggested that the EC dispense with indelible ink if it “cannot guarantee that the fiasco of the 13th general election will not be repeated”.

MAFREL was formed in 2003 and has observed three general elections in Malaysia. It has also observed elections in the Philippines, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

The Kajang state seat fell vacant with the resignation of assemblymen Lee Chin Cheh of PKR on Jan 27. Polling day is March 23.