Parliament: Preliminary Report On Electoral Reform Tabled In Dewan Rakyat

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 (Bernama) -- The Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on electoral reform presented its preliminary report for debate in the Dewan Rakyat Thursday.

As a result of two public hearings, 10 recommendations have been proposed in the report, said PSC chairman Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili.

He added that all members of the committee agreed on the recommendations unanimously.

"The matters which have been agreed upon and are being raised in the house have been identified as specific, important and for the urgent action and implementation of the Election Commission (EC) and related bodies and agencies," he said.

"The matters which have not been agreed upon would be considered later with the views and input from the public after four more public hearings," he added.

"The committee's conclusions on these matters would be included in the final report later," he said when tabling the preliminary report.

Dr Ongkili noted that more than 40 suggestions and good ideas on electoral reform were contributed by members of the public during the two hearings.

He said the committee met 26 registered organisations and associations as well as individuals at Parliament House here on Nov 11 and 12, and a similar number on Nov 25 and 26, at the Kota Kinabalu Federal Administration Complex in Sabah.

"The committee proposes that all the recommendations in this motion be adopted for the 13th general election," he said.

The 10 recommendations are related to the use of indelible ink, early voting, absentee voters residing abroad and voters outside their constituency, among others.

Touching on the cleaning up of the electoral rolls, the report acknowledged the EC's continuous effort in the matter.

However, in relation to Sabah the committee recommended that the EC appoint Mimos Berhad to verify the eligibility of voters, including cases of two voters sharing the same identification number, deceased voters still on the rolls and non-citizen voters.

The committee also put forward the appeal by various parties, during its hearings in Sabah, for a royal commission of inquiry into the allegations of foreigners being accorded citizenship for the alleged purpose of being included in the rolls.

The Dewan Rakyat approved the setting up of the PSC on Oct 3. I comprises nine Barisan Nasional, opposition coalition and independent members of parliament.