MAY 1 — So, with nominations completed, campaigning for the 14th General Elections seem to be in full swing.
It also looks like silly season is in full swing as well.
Previously apolitical people have suddenly become political analysts. This in itself is not necessarily a bad thing as it shows that they have taken an interest in what is going in the country. The trying part though is when they try to foist their viewpoint on to all and sundry. That again, I suppose, is all part of the journey and everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
The recent ruling by the Election Commission (SPR), that limits who can be portrayed on campaign posters surely ranks high on the list of silliness.
Based on my understanding, only pictures of two political party leaders, namely the president (or its equivalent) and deputy president (or its equivalent) can be used on campaign materials, in addition to the candidate.
The rationale behind this is not to confuse voters.
Posters were printed earlier and this ruling means that money would have been wasted. The fact the the SPR is going around and cutting out photos of personalities that do not conform to the requirements is another waste of time and resources. Surely we voters are not so stupid as to be confused by this.
social media is abuzz with videos of the removal of politicians faces. There also doesn’t seem to be much consistency in the removal of personalities when some are left alone and some others seem to be specifically targetted. One campaign poster that I remember seeing shows a Malaysian Politician posing with the President of China. That poster doesnt seem to have attracted the interest of the SPR and I wonder if, based on their logic, whether some would think the Chinese President is contesting in our Elections?
Nomination day was also not as straightforward as it should have been.
There was a case where a candidate was not allowed into the nomination centre because he didnt have an EC pass.
Many people were quick to condemn this candidate. However, on closer inspection, it appears that based on the EC Rules, there is no requirement whatsoever for an EC Pass to enter the nomination centre. A candidates IC is deemed to be sufficient. It also appears that a photocopy of your IC is also sufficient although I will admit I am no expert on the rules.
There were also allegations that the police used strong arm tactics to prevent the candidate from entering the nomination centre.
These allegations were refuted by the police but video recordings seem to suggest otherwise.
However, unless one was on the ground, it is really very difficuly to understand what actually happened.
There was also another case of a candidates nomiation being rejected due to a previous fine. although the High Court had earlier deemed the amount of the fine to be insufficent to render the candidate ineligeble, the Returning Officer thought otherwise.
While both cases will be appealed, it seems to suggest that there is no consistency among returning officers and they may use their own discretion to decide. This is surely at odds with a democratic system and tighter controls are definitely required.
Videos from GE13 also seem to be making their rounds. As well as news articles related to GE13.
The sad thing about this is that many people seem to think the videos and articles are current and have no hesitation in sending it out.
Then of course there is the fake news. Today itself, social media was abuzz about a senior politician supposedly making a statement that car hailing services, also known as Grab, would be stopped. On closer scrutiny, it appears that the politician in question merely said that the related policies would be looked at if they came into power. It is interesting to note that many mainstream media that initially carried the story then quickly retracted it.
What about all the WhatsApp messages and other social media posts about how one needs to dress on Polling day?
Apparently, short, singlets, slippers and the like are not allowed to be worn. People were advise, again through viral social media messages, that one had to dress properly, in fact almost formally, before one would be allowed into the Polling Stations.
Fortunately, the EC has come out with a statement that the only restriction on attire is that a voter is not allowed to enter the polling station if the voter wears any clothes or carry items that display the name of candidates, their symbol or a party logo.
Accusations from different political leaders are thrown at one another.
Racism and religious vitriol seems to be rearing its ugly head. Why cant politicians be civil and work on issues rather than bringing race and religion into it? Why are we still being classified into our ethnic races and championing race based issues when we are all Malaysians??
Invariably there is also the fear mongering and advice to stock up on canned food and other food items. As a nation, one would hope that we are beyond succumbing to these fear tactics and realise that we are more mature now and more accepting of each other. I use the work acceptance because in reality we know we are all Malaysians and I do not believe for one moment that another May 13 or 513 will occur again.
There was also the decision that our own Human Rights Commission would not be allowed to observe the Elections.
This is even more baffling when seven countries have agreed to send representatives to monitor our own elections. The reason given was that there are enough independent observers to monitor our elections. What harm is there to give SUHAKAM the right to observe the elections?
It has reached the stage where reading the news has become almost comic relief.
So put aside Silly Season as it will go on for another 10 days until Election Day. Come 9 May 2018, the choice is yours to make. Make a wise choice as this choice will shape the country for the next 5 years. And it doesnt end there. Make sure your MP or ADUN is held accountable for the next five years. Make sure they serve you as they are supposed to do. For after all, they are your representatice and should be beholded to you.
Not the other way.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.
