Suhakam vows to monitor election process until polling day

PETALING JAYA: The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) will continue to monitor the conduct of the elections up to polling day, despite not being allowed by the Election Commission (EC) to monitor inside the polling stations since nomination day.
In a statement, today, Suhakam chairman Tan Sri Razali Ismail said the body would like to reaffirm its commitment to a free and fair election and its solidarity with the people to have the freedom to make their determination on those who will represent them through a democratic process.
Reiterating its disappointment that it is not allowed by the EC to monitor the election process as it is completely unjustifiable, Razali said that Suhakam in the future will address these questions and will call for the EC institution to be revamped taking into account wholesome practices elsewhere.
"The EC is a machinery for the people mandated by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to facilitate fair and independent voting process and not to take actions that can make it be accused of being partisan and selective.
"Malaysia was ranked at position 125 out of 197 countries worldwide in the 2018 World Electoral Freedom Index and this is symptomatic of our situation," he said.
He also opined that that the level playing field is affected with instances of questionable disqualification of candidates and money and gifts being distributed, which is defended as being within the perimeters of Malaysian law, but long discarded by many democratic countries.
"Suhakam continues to see the redelineation exercise as an epic breach of democratic election principles flouting proportionality.
"We have been informed of various instances where people have had their right to vote curtailed and Suhakam has received complaints of postal ballots not being received up to 48 hours before the election and other discrepancies," Razali said.
Malaysians, he said deserve to be able to exercise their right to vote freely as the will of the people is inalienable and sacrosanct.
"In relation to this, Suhakam welcomes information from voters about any form of anomaly or breach of election regulations in the voting process.
"We encourage Malaysians to take the opportunity of tomorrow's general election to exercise their civil and political rights by casting their vote wisely and judiciously, with the best interest of our beloved nation," he added.
It was reported that the EC has invited 14 countries to participate in the May 9 polls as foreign observers.
Seven countries have agreed to send representatives namely Indonesia, Thailand, Maldives, Timor Leste, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan.
EC chairman Tan Sri Mohd Hashim Abdullah said 14 local non-governmental organisations and university representatives will also be observing the polls.
"Other than those who have been appointed and invited, no other organisation or individuals will be recognised," he added.
For GE13, the EC had invited, among others, Malaysian Youth Council, Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas), Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS), Merdeka Centre and Gabungan Persatuan Orang Cacat Malaysia to act as observers during the polls.