We have read in the Star on 18 August 1999, your declaration that the Elections Commission is impartial and fair, and that its independence should not be questioned. We are indeed relieved to read your statement, as past practice has created serious doubts in our minds about this issue.
The coming elections are very crucial for the future of the nation. The Prime Minister has claimed that this will be the "dirtiest election in history". This must not be allowed to happen. We wish not only to be assured that elections will be fairly conducted by the Elections Commission, we also wish to see that this is done in an open and transparent manner, so that all political parties can compete equally.
We hereby petition you to take the following steps to ensure this:
A. Before the Elections
A1. Election Committee
Form an independent Election Committee headed by a well-respected personality such as Datuk Musa Hitam, for the coming elections. This Committee shall be a multi-racial make-up of reputable persons and representatives from all the political parties taking part in the election. It will have overall responsibility to conduct the elections. It shall draw up a Code of Conduct to be complied by all parties and shall have wide-ranging powers, binding on the Elections Commission, to punish offenders. Its mandate shall end upon completion of the election and acceptance of the results by all participating political parties.
A2. Electoral Roll
The 685,000 new voters, registered in May 1999, shall be included in the electoral roll in readiness for the coming elections.
Due care shall be taken to ensure that voters who have died or are no longer eligible, are removed from the rolls. Misplaced voters or those who have been left out inadvertently, shall have their address corrected or shall be immediately re-instated, with an official acknowledgement issued to them. This acknowledgement shall be accepted as proof of voting eligibility in case of dispute on the day of election.
A3. Voting Locality and Counting Centre
The Voting Localities and Counting Centre for each constituency shall be presented on a key plan to all the political parties. For each voting locality, the key plan shall show the locations of the ballot boxes, the storage rooms and the proposed route for transporting the ballot boxes to the counting centre.
A4. Dirty Tricks
We have read of many dirty tricks carried out during previous campaigns. Publish a set of guidelines on how you intend to prevent dirty tricks this time round. This guideline shall be made available to us at least three weeks before election day.
A5. Malaysians Overseas
All Malaysians working or residing overseas, should be given the opportunity to vote in the nearest Malaysian High Commission or embassy. Notices shall be immediately published in the local media of the country in question inviting Malaysian citizens to register for voting, so that they can vote in the coming elections.
A6 Illegal Immigrants
We have read of illegal immigrants voting in the Sabah State Elections this year. The ongoing court cases in Sabah over this issue, does not reflect favourable on the Elections Commission. We are given to understand that many illegal immigrants were issued with fake identity cards and registered with the Elections Commission (EC) for voting. Vet the electoral rolls vigorously to ensure that this problem will not recur, and in the event this happens again, take immediate action to investigate and take remedial action.
B. ELECTION CAMPAIGN
B1. International Observers
Invite International Observers from the United Nations, the Jimmy Carter Foundation, the European Union and the Commonwealth, to monitor the conduct of the elections.
B2. International Press
Invite the International Press to cover and monitor the conduct of the elections.
B3. Campaign
Set the campaign period for a minimum of three weeks. Open rallies shall be permitted, provided respect is given to the existing laws on sedition or incite the people to create unrest. All Government facilities shall as stadiums, open fields, halls, etc shall be equally accessible to all parties in proportion to the seats contested.
B4. Care-taker Government
Ensure that all the participants in the elections shall campaign on their own time and not during their time of service with the government. Any candidate in government service, who is campaigning, shall be required to take no-pay-leave. During the time they are working as in the government, they shall not be permitted to make any statements that can be construed as any form of campaign.
The Care-taker government does not have any right to the use of government facilities, unless authorised by you. Distribute the use of these facilities evenly among the various political parties, in proportion to the number of seats contested. These facilities include aircraft, helicopters, vehicles, boats, telephones, radios, and office equipment and materials.
The Care-taker Government shall not be allowed to use the services of the Special Branch, the army secret police or other branches of the secret service in connection with the election campaign.
B5. Control of Media
Control the media to ensure that they operate impartially. If they are to be involved in politicking, they shall provide equal time to all the political parties, in proportion to the seats contested.
B6. Offer of Bribes
Ensure that no party try to bribe the voters by offering projects to the constituency during the election campaign.
B7. Making of Threats
Ensure that no party resort to blackmail by threatening to withhold development funds from any constituency that will not elect them.
C. VOTING
C1. Voting Localities in Malaysia
All Voting Localities in Malaysia shall be in public places such as halls, schools, etc. No voting locality shall be sited in military installations or police camps.
C2. Voting Localities outside Malaysia
Voting shall be conducted in the Malaysian High Commissions. Immediately after the elections are over, the polling boxes shall be opened in front of all the party voting agents, the Press and International Observers, and counting begun. The results of the counting shall be recorded on an official form and signed by the Elections Officer and all the voting agents present. These results shall be immediately faxed to the central counting centre in Kuala Lumpur and a certified copy given to each voting agent. The central counting centre shall assign these results to the respective constituencies.
C3. Ballot Boxes
The ballot boxes shall be placed outside the polling booth, with the sides concealed by a low-level curtain and the top exposed, so that the voter can > be seen to place the ballots in the boxes.
C4. Polling Booth
Each Polling Booth shall be supplied with at least 2 ballot boxes, one for each contesting party. The voter shall be instructed to insert their ballot paper in the box of the party for which they have voted. Each time the ballot box is full, the box shall be removed, sealed, numbered consecutively, registered, transferred to the locked storage room and replaced with a fresh box. This procedure will reduce the chances of "surprise" ballot boxes turning up after voting. A separate register of the ballot boxes shall be kept to monitor the boxes.
C5. Armed Forces and Police
Army and police personnel shall vote in the constituency of the camp in which they were stationed for the last 8 months. We do not wish to see cases of army or police personnel being shuffled around at the last minute to favour any particular party. They shall vote in the nearest voting centres outside their camp.
All secret service personnel, be they the Special Branch, the army secret police or any other sections connected with "Government Intelligence" shall be restricted to their office. They may leave their office to exercise their voting right but thereafter, they shall immediately return to their office.
C6. Law and Order
The military and police shall be deployed to keep law and order around the voting locality. No campaigning or posters shall be allowed within a radius of 100 metres from the voting locality.
C7. Postal Voting
Postal votes shall be handled in a transparent manner. All parties shall have the opportunity to verify whether these votes are fairly cast and the votes posted to the EC are genuine. To avoid complaints of fraud, count these votes at the voting centre, in the presence of all parties contesting for that seat.
C8. Precautionary Measures
To prevent multiple voting by the same person, all voters shall have their index finger marked with indelible ink that will stay for at least 48 hours.
D. POST-BALLOTING
D1. Sealing of Ballot Boxes
Ballot boxes shall be sealed by the Elections Officer in the presence of all the voting agents. The voting agents shall confirm their acceptance of the process by signing on the seals. These seals shall be made of material that cannot be removed without being torn.
D2. Storage Room for Ballot Boxes
Rooms, which are designated for storage of the Ballot Boxes prior to transfer to the Counting Centre, shall be kept under lock and key. These rooms shall be guarded by both the Election Committee and the army. The contesting parties shall be given the opportunity to post guards to assist in guarding the rooms.
D3. Transfer of Ballot Boxes
The vehicles used to transfer the ballot boxes to the Counting Centre shall carry also the voting agents of the contesting parties. All contesting parties shall be given the opportunity to send their representatives to accompany the vehicles. The Army shall provide escorts to secure the safety of the vehicles.
The ballot boxes for each voting locality shall be counted separately and the total tallied with the number of voters who voted.
D5. Counting Centre
The Counting Centre shall be restricted only to the following:
a. Election Committee Officers and Designated staff or workers
b. Press and TV, both local and foreign
c. Foreign Observers
d. Sufficient voting agents from each contesting party to monitor the counting
We hope by this process, voters will be able to exercise their free choice of voting and no party shall deprive us of our freedom of choice.
Thank you.