In a surprise about-turn, Prime Minister Najib Razak has called for a parliamentary select committee to be formed as soon as possible to examine the electoral system, currently the object of much public disgruntlement.
“A parliamentary select committee will be formed in the nearest time and it will be made up of government and opposition representatives. This committee will discuss all the questions and issues raised about electoral reform so that a mutual agreement can be reached. I, along with my Cabinet, do not want to become PM or a government without the support of the people,” Najib said in a speech at a buka puasa function on Monday.
Members of the Pakatan Rakyat led by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim greeted the news cautiously, given Najib's oft-repeated vows that he would defend federal power at all costs including at the expense of "crushed bodies", "lost lives" and "ethnic cleansing".
"We won't get carried away just yet. Let's wait for more details to emerge," PKR MP for Gopeng Lee Boon Chye told Malaysia Chronicle.
Creating a feel-good factor?
Pakatan leaders also said bi-partisan committees were no guarantee of fair play. In particular, they pointed to the toothless Public Accounts Committee and even the Rights and Privileges Committee, which recently hammered through Anwar's suspension from Parliament along with 3 other Pakatan lawmakers - Bukit Gelugor's Karpal Singh, Gombak MP Azmin Ali and Subang MP Sivarasa Rasiah.
"This is a belated admission by Najib that there is merit in the call for electoral reform by Bersih and Pakatan Rakyat. I see no sincerity in this move. The government is only reacting to public pressure and the current political climate. We will have to wait and see whether they show real will to reform. A parliamentary committee is pointless if it does not translate into real change," PKR vice president N Surendran told Malaysia Chronicle.
Nonetheless, the UMNO press is promoting the proposal as a "major" concession given Najib's previous hardline stance and harsh police crackdown on the Bersih rally for free and fair elections.
Nearly 2,000 supporters of the rally were arrested, accusations of bizzare Communists plots and conspiracies hurled at some, with thousands injured during the march itself on July 9 and one left dead as a result of the unprecedented police violence.
To many seasoned observers, Najib's words were another sign that general elections were close by. They regard the latest move as a means to create a feel-good factor.
No more censorship, really?
Apart from announcing the electoral committee, Najib also admitted that it was pointless to censor media articles. In the aftermath of the Bersih rally, the Home Ministry had censored a report published in the The Economist magazine, which caught the attention of the international community.
"Only one line was censored, but the act of censoring made more news than the news itself," said Najib.
Again, few dared to applaud or take his comments as a real shift in policy stance. Sad to say, the PM has become known for his doublespeak and saying different things to different communities and audiences.
"If he is serious, he should abolish the Official Secrets Act, and the Printing Presses and Publications Act," said Lee.
source:Malaysia Chronicle
PM umum JK reformasi sistem pilihan raya
Not good enough, Mr Prime Minister
cheers.
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