MAFREL (640757-M)
Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections
Suite 2-2-40, 2nd. Floor
Wisma Rampai, Rampai Town Centre,
Jalan 34/26, 53300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: +603-4149 4248 , Fax: +603 4142 2997
MEDIA STATEMENT: P.44 PERMATANG PAUH BY-ELECTION
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you all and to thank you for your presence at this morning’s Press Conference.
For the benefit of those who are still not aware about the latest development in MAFREL, I would like to inform them that Encik Abd Malek bin Hussin has resigned as MAFREL Chairman in order to move on and pursue his other NGO programmes and activities. MAFREL would like to record its appreciation and sincere thanks to Encik Abd. Malek for his invaluable contribution to this organization and to wish him success in his new undertakings.
MAFREL would like to inform the members of the media present that it has made an official request to observe the forthcoming by-election for the vacant seat of P.44, Permatang Pauh. MAFREL is pleased to announce that the Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya Malaysia has, on 7th August, 2008, given MAFREL the necessary accreditation to observe the P.44 Permatang Pauh by-election to be held on 26th August, 2008. On behalf of the MAFREL Exco, I would like to record our sincere appreciation and thanks to the Suruhanjaya Pilihan Jaya Malaysia for the speed in processing our application and for the accreditation given.
Upon receiving the official accreditation to observe the by-election, MAFREL has set its machinery going. We have already completed the “Pre-election Assessment” exercise and currently our Northern Branch is undertaking the “Electoral Roll Verification” exercise. We hope to complete this exercise soon.
MAFREL will also send its trained observers to the Nomination Centre on 16th August, 2008 and will monitor the election campaign process which has already started.
On the polling day proper, MAFREL will deploy a total of 40 trained election observers at all 28 polling centres in the Permatang Pauh constituency. Special emphasis will be on observing and monitoring the electoral environment outside the polling centres and the polling and counting processes inside the centres.
MAFREL is fully aware that the P.44 Permatang Pauh by-election will be a high-profile by-election. MAFREL therefore reiterates its earlier stand to call on the Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya to revert back to the original agreement to use the indelible ink during the polling day. MAFREL contends that only through the use of the indelible ink will the incidence of voter fraud and phantom voters be reduced or totally eliminated.
Finally, MAFREL once again would like to express its sincere appreciation to the Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya for having given MAFREL the official accreditation to observe the P.44 Permatang Pauh by-election. We regard this as a further step forward towards our quest to move from mere observation to monitoring and some form of limited engagement/involvement in future elections or by-elections. Our observations at this by-election will complement the observations that we have compiled and documented for the recent 12th General Election and which will be released to the Suruhanjaya Pilihan Jaya and other stakeholders soon. For the information of the members of the media, The Report on the Observation of the 12th General Election has been completed. However, since the time frame given for lodging objections has still not expired, we will not be releasing the final report until the expiry of the time-frame allowed for objections. Members of the media will be duly informed when we are ready to release the Report.
Thank you.
Prepared by;
MAFREL Secretariat
August, 12, 2008
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