PUTRAJAYA: The Election Commission (EC) will ensure that the postal voting process for media personnel during 13th general election is transparent to avoid negative perception and complaints from various parties.

Deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said EC will avoid third parties and proposed that media personnel take ballot papers from the returning officers (RO) office where they are registered and vote.

“Media personnel can use the 10-day campaign to return to their respective constituencies to collect them as the campaign period is quite long,” he told Bernama today.

Postal voting for media personnel are among 22 recommendations of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on Electoral Reform which the EC agreed to implement.

Facilities for postal voting is in accordance with sub-regulation 3 (1) (f) Election Regulations (Postal Voting) 2003.

Wan Ahmad said the EC is prepared to give exemption to media personnel who are assigned too far from their registered areas such as Sabah and Sarawak.

“Eligible media personnel must apply to become postal voters from their respective ROs and the applications must be supported by their employers.

“The form can be downloaded from the EC official website after an announcement, including the submission deadline,” he said, adding that not all media personnel are entitled to become postal voters.

Among information that must be furnished is their voting registered address and place they are assigned to during general election.

“When the application as postal vote has been approved, the name of the media personnel will be removed from the standard elctoral roll.”

He urged employers to finalise the assignment location as changes at the last minute will not be entertained once the EC has approved application as postal voters.

On the rationale for media personnel to return to their areas to vote, Wan Ahmad said the EC did not want it politicised by sending ballot papers to their assignment locations.

“EC does not want the ballot papers to get lost as our practice is to send them to the office of ROs where the voters are registered.

“If you want, the RO office can send ballot papers to the RO office where media personnel are located but this will lead to speculation and wild accusations against the EC.”

He, however, said that all are still proposals and the EC is willing to receive feedback to ensure smooth implementation of postal voting for media personnel for the benefit of all parties.

Bernama

KOTA BARU: The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Service (Cuepacs) will not protect members found guilty of participating in an unlawful assembly, president Omar Osman said.

Reminding members to stay away from such gatherings, he said: “Those caught will have to face the consequences themselves. It is not in our jurisdiction to help them.

“According to regulation, it is clearly stated that civil servants cannot participate in such gathering because it can jeopardise the country’s security.

“Civil servants found guilty of participating in such unlawful assemblies can lose their jobs.”

He said this when met after the opening of a nursing seminar held in conjunction with the state-level World Nursing Day celebrations here today.

International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamed opened the event.

In a related matter, Omar requested the police to give the names of civil servants who were detained in connection with an unlawful assembly which was supported by the opposition in Kuala Lumpur last April 28.

“Cuepacs wants to meet them [the civil servants] to know the reason which prompted them to participate in the gathering,” he added.

He said Cuepacs was prepared to organise briefing sessions for its members to explain to them the regulation prohibiting them from participating in such gatherings.

-Bernama

KLANG: Hindraf and Human Rights Party leader P Uthayakumar today officially announced that he would be contesting in the 13th general election in both state and parliamentary seats.

The seats are Kota Raja parliamentary seat and Sri Andalas state seat, currently held by Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud from PAS and PKR Dr Xavier Jeyakumar, respectively.

“We have no choice but to stand as independents now. We are going in as the first Hindraf activists. Three years after our release from ISA detention, none of Hindraf leaders have taken up any government positions in the Pakatan states. That’s because we want to champion the Indian cause without fear or favour,” Uthayakumar told a crowd of about 400 at Padang Chetty at Tengku Kelana in Klang.

“They (Pakatan Rakyat) only want us for our votes. They only want the Indian votes, not solve the Indian problems,” he said, expressing clear disappointment that his invitation to the opposition to state its 100-day plan to address Indian issues has been “rejected” twice.

However, Uthayakumar stressed that Barisan Nasional was still its main enemy and it “wants Pakatan to go to Putrajaya, but to bring along seven Hindraf MPs and 14 state assemblymen as check and balance”.

MORE TO COME

GEORGE TOWN: P Ramasamy should step down as the Hindu Endowment Board (HEB) chairman and focus on his executive task as Penang Deputy Chief Minister II.

In making this call, MIC Youth chief T Mohan said Ramasamy should allow other assemblymen to head HEB to enable more Indian leaders to serve the community effectively.

“HEB is merely a statutory body entrusted to safeguard and manage Hindu endowments.

“Ramasamy should not compromise his dignity and integrity as a state excutive council member to head a lower-ranking body

“It is only proper for him to quit immediately as HEB chairman,” he said.

Mohan challenged Ramasamy to show his leadership quality by making the right decision immediately to pave the way for another assemblyman to take over HEB.

He said Ramasamy should only assume one position to correct the growing public perception that he was greedy for positions.

He added that being a political novice, Ramasamy, a former academician, has failed to realise that perception was vital in public judgment.

He said Ramasamy should not allow the public to see him wearing too many hats and dominating all positions, while hindering others from holding posts.

Despite strong opposition from the Penang DAP Indian grassroots, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng re-appointed Ramasamy as HEB chairman early this month.

DAP assemblymen Seri Delima’s Rayer and Bagan Dalam’s Tanasekharan, and PKR’s Batu Uban representative S Raveentharan also sit as board commissioners.

Mohan asked why virtually all Indian assemblymen are sitting as board commissioners, likening it to “putting all eggs in a single basket”.

He said Ramasamy should be prepared to swap positions to make way for bigger Indian representation in the state government.

“Big responsibilities come with high position. Penang Indians need a full-time Indian executive councillor to serve them, not part-time or past-time politicians.

“It’s only fair that Ramasamy steps down as HEB chairman for the sake of the community,” Mohan told FMT.

Based on the past four-year record, Mohan, however, is convinced that Ramasamy would eventually fail miserably to perform his tasks as deputy chief minister II.

Ramasamy is in charge of state economic planning, education, human resources, science, technology and innovation.

“He has done nothing worthy in his executive portfolios. He has also not done anything different for the Indian community.

“He has only been a perfect mandore for Guan Eng,” Mohan said.