Indelible ink fiasco: Police report against PM, AG, IGP and EC chairman

KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 – Looks like Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has another headache to add to his expanding cluster.

At 11.30am today, the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) and National Institute for Electoral Integrity (NIEI) lodged a report at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters against the government over the cancellation of the indelible ink at the March general elections.

Faisal Mustaffa and Amin Iskandar, from Bersih and NIEI respectively, in their joint report named the prime minister, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Ab Rashid Ab Rahman and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan as the parties responsible for causing the cancellation of the indelible ink, bought at a cost of RM2.4 million from India.

The two non-profit organisations, which have been keeping a close watch on the proceedings of the electoral process and maintain that the last general elections were conducted unfairly, want the

named individuals investigated for what they allege was a conspiracy to tamper with the electoral process.

"Bersih and NIEI are of the opinion that the conflicting statements among the four parties need to be investigated and action taken. Based on media reports, it's clear that there was a plot among the four parties named," said Faisal in a statement to the media.

The police report was made following the shocking statement issued by Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar in Parliament on May 5.

Four days before the March 8 election, the EC had announced that it was cancelling the use of the indelible ink, which it had been touting as an additional safeguard against the phenomenon of phantom voters which is believed to have long plagued the Malaysian electoral process.

The EC claimed that there had been efforts to smuggle in indelible ink from neighbouring countries, which would interfere with the exercise. The IGP also claimed that several police reports had been filed in Perlis, Kedah and Kelantan between February 16 and 21 and that the police had conducted investigations regarding the ink smuggling incident.

"In a written reply to Batu Gajah MP Fong Po Kuan, Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar confirmed that in actuality, there was no evidence of any indelible ink being smuggled in from neighbouring countries as alleged by the EC chairman.

"On 17 May 2008, the SPR chairman issued a statement to the contrary and said he had been instructed by the Cabinet to cancel plans to use the indelible ink," said Faisal.

He also accused the EC chairman of being under the Cabinet's manipulation and rebutted the latter's statements that the electoral process was free and fair were untrue.

"EC failed to amend the Constitution to allow or enforce the implementation of the indelible ink. This actually frustrates the citizen's right to a free and fair elections,” Faisal explained, referring to the commission's failure last year to get Parliament to pass the laws allowing the use of the indelible ink.

The EC had overlooked the legal aspect altogether when it received approval from the National Fatwa Council to use the indelible ink.

"Rashid, as EC chairman, must take responsibility and resign immediately for the disappointing unprofessional attitude demonstrated by EC officials in handling this matter so that the next time round, such things won't happen again," said Faisal firmly.

By Debra Chong
The Malaysian Insider