With the whistle to start election campaign due to be blown on the Nomination day on Mar 29th it come as a surprise to Mafrel observers that there are already dense banners, posters and operation centres around the 3 state constituencies constituting Bukit Gantang! I was travelling with Syed Ibrahim this afternoon to Bukit Gantang to survey the hot campaign site -and found the campaign mode to be much more advanced than we thought-or what the media, main and side stream ones, has been telling the public/readers!
The most eye-catching part of the campaign paraphernalia must be the banners with cartoons which are targetting themes for this election-featuring the PM-in-waiting Najib, and also the defected Assemblypersons in Perak.
The campaign material are quite balanced between the UMNO/BN side and the PAS side. Few PKR or DAP banners are visible in this mainly Malays (88%)Parliamentary constituency.
We were only travelling along the main roads cutting through Bukit Gantang, bisecting Changkat Jerling(won by PKR), Kuala Sepetang (won by PKR) and Trong (won by BN). There should be more banners and posters inside the kampongs extending from the main roads.
There are also activities already organised here eg BN’s campaign launching by Muhyiddin Yassin tomorrow, at a Community Hall, and a PAS ceramah a few days later.
Without any media catching wind of it the campaign for Bukit Gantang had gone into full swing-testifying other reports that there are strong ground sentiments affecting the by-election, which would be a focus of the entire nation within weeks!
Ong BK
It a slaughter field for UNMO, come on UMNO, send as many of your aminals to contest as possible, all will be slaughtered by Rakyat.
“CAMPAIGN IN FULL SWING ALREADY IN BUKIT GANTANG !”
Congratulations MAFREL, I do like to believe you have arrived to this stage of development.
Much has been expected from this election WATCHDOG body for the publicity it has been giving but the question remains, what’s delaying the GE-12 and Permatang Pauh Report for submission to SPR/Election Commission?
Anil Netto obviously picked up the ‘heated’ interaction on this blog. This is what he said on his blog:
http://anilnetto.com/accountability/unfinished-business/#more-9155
“Mafrel’s GE12 election monitoring report: It’s been one year already, and Mafrel, the civil society election watchdog, has apparently not yet submitted its report to the Election Commission. This was a watershed election – so what’s delaying the report? Will it be submitted to the Election Commission before the three by-elections in April? ”
I would think it would be very very timely if Mafrel’s report be published on this blog and at the same time see the urgency of it to be submitted to SPR/Election Commission, soonest possible.
You will then have better impact and support in the CAUSE that Mafrel upholds? I also notice the top management of Mafrel has been extremely silent on this?
For ease of reference and convenience of interested Public, observers, supporters and posters I will ‘cut and paste’ below what has transpired and discussed, heated as they may be on this Mafrel thread:
on 27/02/2009 at 12:37 pm Jong
Before Mafrel continues to talk about its ‘election watchdog’ role in the coming By-Election for Bukit Gantang, Bukit Selambau, Batang Ai and Pensiangan By-Election, I think Mafrel itself should itself be more transparent, to enlighten the Malaysian public and electorates as to what has happened to all those reports which Mafrel was supposed to collate for submision to SPR/Elelection Commission(EC)?
I am referring to the 12th General Election of 8 March 2008 and Permatang Pauh By-Election 26 Aug 2008. Have they been submitted? If so, may we the Electorates be informed what response did Mafrel receive from SPR/Election Commission?Transparency again here please.
Can I have a response from Mafrel Management please? Terima kasih.
on 27/02/2009 at 12:51 pm Jong
Mafrel’s Report and response from Election Commission/SPR is one way to gauge the effectiveness of Mafrel as an effective “ELECTION WATCHDOG” otherwise it defeats its whole purpose and will merely be another ‘toothless watchdog’!
on 27/02/2009 at 4:15 pm democracy4now
Mafrel had submitted reports for its various election observation mission up to the Ijok by-election observation mission. The reports from General Election Mar 2008 onwards are still being prepared.
There had certainly be some effects from the reports Mafrel had submitted before:
1. Cancellation of the recording of serial number of voters on the counterfoil of voting paper-at the Sarawak state election-following our report on the matter at Pengkalan Pasir by-election; The change involved amendment to election law-and improve the secrecy of the vote;
2. The priority given to cleaning up the electoral rolls -after report by Mafrel about dead voters found in the rolls in Sarawak state elections. The clean-up is on-going -but it could not be possible without someone kicking up a fuss about possible `ghost’ voters!
Mafrel has been invited to be officially accredited observers who are entitled to enter voting stations (since then restricted to the voting centre/school ) for observation -this is also a recognition of the work as reflected in our reports.
Yet we should continue to be the watchdog -especially given the increasing restrictions put on the ways of observers, so that we can continue to put pressure on the EC/SPR to do their job well in terms of delivering free and fair elections. Only those who allow the EC/SPR and the BN govt behind them to run down our voting rights would want us to close our eyes on the various problems of our election system. So we will continue to play our role to highlight the weaknesses in our election system. No one can discourage us enough to stop doing it. Hope you don’t get discouraged given the slow pace of change that we often see up to now. But change there are going to be. Just keep up our conviction!
on 28/02/2009 at 12:22 am Salak
I am referring to the 12th General Election of 8 March 2008 and Permatang Pauh By-Election 26 Aug 2008. Have they been submitted? If so, may we the Electorates be informed what response did Mafrel receive from SPR/Election Commission?Transparency again here please.
March is a few days away, to clock 12 months after 12th General Election of 8 March 2008. It certainly would help if, the reports thereto were duly presented to SPR and what responses have been made by SPR.
The points about Sarawak are duly noted. But what about the 12th General Election. There are evidences of IC traps and unlawful money transactions for PP. I have on file these photos!
Recently, at KT there were photographic evidence and police reports made. There has been no action action from any relevant and approtriate bodies or institutions.
It would help public confidence if there is more movement and actions on the foregoing
on 28/02/2009 at 12:48 am democracy4now
We’ll keep watch on the PDRM’s responses on this. We also can bring the issues into the Parliament-which had been done before. So those who transgressed can count on us to keep pursuing them to the last point. Hopefully more people who hold any evidence can come forward with the evidences. Better still -learn from Jong-come forward to staff our operation centre and serve as observers during the campaign period and polling day! With more people around we can watch over each other to do our part as citizens of the country! No one can slack-EVEN AS VOLUNTEERS PAID BY NO ONE!
on 28/02/2009 at 4:16 am Jong
This is unbelieveable and shocking!
Exactly a week to one year since the 12th General Election was held on 8Mar08 and Mafrel has still to submit her report to SPR/Election Commission?
What is going on with those at the top in Mafrel? It’s unfortunate they don’t seem to appreciate what we volunteers/observers are doing on the ground – trying our best, submitting reports, gathering pictures as evidence, all for them to collate and send to SPR/EC yet they don’t seem to see the urgency of it?
Here we are volunteering, not that we are paid – NO, not even a single sen, not that we are complaining but just be a little appreciative of the precious time we put aside for Mafrel. So do your part and please don’t sit on the piles of report, damnit!
on 04/03/2009 at 4:13 pm Salak
[“…So those who transgressed can count on us to keep pursuing them to the last point. …]
With no facts about them being pursued, one tends to wonder what actually is/was pursued. Or rather what is the pursuit?
Better accountability, governance and transparency would serve well for MAFREL, as would be readily understood. Those are the very fundamental elements it has chosen to uphold!
on 05/03/2009 at 12:35 am democracy4now
I suppose it is unfair to say now, after the earlier clarification on the successes in persuing the voters’ serial number issue and dead voters in the voters’ rolls, that there is `no fact about them being persued’. So whether we have done enough of the pursuit of the transgressors of unfree and unfair elections should be left to the public’s judgement, rather than being `debated’ rheotorically here. We can keep saying it is there while someone can keep saying `I don’t see it’. There is no end to it. Let more people make their judgement!
Other than the 2 issues above Mafrel’s work also for the first time try to systematically document the transgressions of free and fair elections in Malaysia-the reports are all there. Perhaps the above writer should make an effort to refer to them before claiming `what is the pursuit’, giving an impression that there has not been any pursuit/worthy work done up to this point. That is unfair to the hundreds of volunteers who had contributed their effort and time on election observation in Malaysia.
We welcome readers to pin point areas where there are need for clarifications from Mafrel in terms of accountablity, governance and transparency-they will really serve everyone well.
on 10/03/2009 at 12:00 pm Salak
“Perhaps the above writer should make an effort to refer to them before claiming `what is the pursuit”
It’s abundantly clear democracy4now, what I’m getting at.
See https://mafrel.wordpress.com/2009/02/25/4-by-elections-simultaneously/#comment-500
If you expect it clearer than that, you must pardon me.
In any case why the heck should you give any info on what you’re doing!!!
You’re a bloody SDB Bhd! Go figure!!!
on 10/03/2009 at 12:04 pm Salak
Oops! SENDIRIAN BERHAD!
Your BOD could sit on whatever you have until they hatch chickens. Of course, you could keep them as eggs!
Now perhaps you’d like to go figure – chicken or egg for another 50 years!
Mafrel has been invited to be officially accredited observers who are entitled to enter voting stations (since then restricted to the voting centre/school ) for observation -this is also a recognition of the work as reflected in our reports.
This is not a comforting thought. If the SPR “accredits” MAFREL what reason could there be for disapproval of incorporation as an association under the ROS? It’s silly!
Does MAFREL prefer to be a private company (Sendirian Berhad) rather than an fully articled association whose operations, decisions and management can be deliberated by all members rather than 4 or 5 Directors of the Board?
All too often, well for the last 50 years, the general assumption is that the voters couldn’t care (a polite way of saying they’ve been intimidated to death) or that they don’t know enough to be interested and therefore it’s best left to the knowledge and enthusiasm of “the few” to do the job. The rest of the population will vote BN anyway.
These are inclinations hardly reflective of the headways made in the 12th GE. With the movement instituted as a non-profit limited company and no abundantly publicised efforts of all information, it appears quite apparent that there will definitely be no means for the work by volunteers to absolutely culminate into meaningful positive actions, as there are no legal deterrents as self-enforcement.
The BN government has a beautiful maxim reflected by PM Abdullah’s favourite response – We will do what needs to be done! The needs are plenty, the doings are promises empty!
Halo Salak/Jong,
Please update your info (eg Mafrel Protem Committee has taken over) and redo the arguments. May be by acknowledging the real changes which had taken place you can see the world a bit differently and don’t get too angry for Mafrel’s weaknesses in the past. I thought you would be happy to see the positive changes that are taking place right in front of your eyes!
Ong,
Why are you so afraid of going to the Press and spell clearly and elaborate on the so-called changes. If you keep these info in the “kelambu” what is the difference!
And what happened to GE 12 reports and others? Private property of the Sdn Bhd? In 72 hours, I would expect it to be completed and published – with the Press, and here and everywhere else while simultaneously submitted to SPR!
Wake up and get out of the “kelambu”, for God’s sake!
Ong,
Grrrreat, ‘OLD WINE in new bottle! I do hope it works.
But first things first, be responsible. You cannot hide behind a new ‘branding’ and sweep everything under the carpet. Be responsible, where’s Mafrel’s Report on GE-12 on 8 Mar 2008 and Permatang Pauh By-Election on 26 Aug 2008?
Let the general public be the judge – send in Mafrel’s Report and post it on this blog. We will see if Mafrel trully deserves the “accreditation” from SPR/EC.
Don’t continue to behave like a bunch of elitists in your comfort zone answerable to no one. You do, at least to your dedicated volunteers. Have some credibility please – cakap mesti bikin!!!
I have been answering your queries -so what is your `elitists answering to no one’? More questions please-I’ll try my best to answer -not neccesarily to your liking though!
As to what you said is hidden -you seems to know better about Mafrel -why not share your info?
As to the reports they will come out in due course-though we would rather release them sooner than later. Our current priority is to conduct the 3 by-elections observations-and I think most volunteers would support that.
As to whether Mafrel now is `old wine in new bottle’ you are free to pre-judge us -but the other readers/public are also entitled /free to take a different view. We would still not be discouraged to continue our pursuit for free and fair elections. Wonder why there are people seemingly unhappy that we pursue this course of action?
BKOng,
That was mischevious, you know there was nothing personal!
I am utterly disappointed with Mafrel’s bunch of “elitists” for its dereliction of duty – sitting on the pile of report meant for SPR/EC for whatever reasons known only to themselves. That was highly irresponsible!
What frustrates me is that I had never been able to get direct answers from you, without you beating round the bush as to WHY those pile of reports were never sent out to SPR/EC.
I am sure you pretty well know there is nothing “seemingly unhappy” from any of us ‘concerned citizens’ here, as far as your latest set-up is concerned. The “old wine in new bottle” was merely a cautious comment from me judging from what has been happening within Mafrel. So please, don’t try twisting things again. We notice you do that so often.
Why bother, it’s not worth your while protecting those “elitists”. It will only reflect badly on YOU. Just expose them, let them face the Malaysian public, the Electorates and dedicated Volunteers without whom Mafrel won’t be where she is today.
Looks like all the leg work by friends of Mafrel is going to waste. If it continues to sit on those damaging photos/evidences, we the public will be left wondering IF maybe, even MAFREL HAS BEEN BOUGHT!!
GOOD, so someone just spit it out, I didn’t!
MAFREL, Where’s your report to the GE-12 8Mar08 and Permatang Pauh By-Election 26 Aug08?
Is MAFREL suffering from the ‘ostrich sydrome’?
You have a moral obligation to the Malaysian public, the ELECTORATES? Your friends and volunteers had done their part, so what are you hiding?
halo folks upstairs! While you are free to interpret the late report as you like -you should also consider the possible difficulties in the volunteers concerned to come out with the reports as the reason for the delay. Hiding the report is a possible imagination from you -it is not something that is necessarily the case. Prove it if you can before you continue to scream your head off about your `finding’! Jumping the gun shows some pre-judgements which should be explained. Why are you sitting on your presumptions while Mafrel had published previous reports in good time, and also that Mafrel is currently busy conducting 3 by-election observations simultaneously. Are you not concerned about these by-elections being conducted well while you insist that the reports must be done NOW? Does that serve your point of searching for truth to rush the reports knowing that the 3-by-elections are stretching the volunteers at Mafrel?
The reports will come out in due course. There is nothing to hide. While you show interests on what you say is `hidden’ it is strange that you pass over opportunities to get the truths from the horse mouths. May be you need to come clean on your reason/s as well. Meanwhile this web site is always transparent enough for you to scream your `thinking’!
One year is and no report stinks!
There are two things wrong – incompetency and bad management, and perceptible malaise!
“…May be you need to come clean on your reason/s as well…”
You can’t deal with the problem! Walk away and enough nonsense! MAFREL should get a PAID executive worth his salt!
I have had comments on the the so-called CEO jetting everywhere, staying in posh hotels and bungling on the Penang Vigil, not lifting a finger to assist a housewife enlightened enough to participate. Go figure …!
I only heard of the existence of Mafrel and it’s work recently. Although I do not know much, but judging from the comments here, it seems that Mafrel has some shortcomings. Is it due to internal politicking? The public do not care about who’s who in Mafrel. If the purpose of Mafrel is to be an independent watchdog during elections, isn’t it fair to expect Mafrel to produce a report soon after the elections and submit to the EC, to expose any case of money politics etc? In the first place, Mafrel has to conduct itself professionally to attract volunteers. Volunteers will drop out, after one experience with bad management in Mafrel. Well, this is just my 2 sen thoughts. At the end, whatever Mafrel is doing is noble and commendable. Shouldn’t Mafrel keep up to that? Do not lose sight of your first love, in this case you first mission.. Mafrel – your election watchdog, for a free and fair elections?
BKOng aka democracy4now, you said:
“Are you not concerned about these by-elections being conducted well while you insist that the reports must be done NOW?
Does that serve your point of searching for truth to rush the reports knowing that the 3-by-elections are stretching the volunteers at Mafrel? ”
– When the 3 By-Elections for Selambau, Bukit Gantang and Batang Ai was announced a month ago, where was the Mafrel Report/Findings for GE-12 which was held on 8th Mar 2008 and Permatang Pauh on 26 Aug 2008?
Please don’t hide behind your concern for those By-elections!
Know what? – You are twisting facts again like you always do, and beginning to look more like a serial liar to us. It’s obvious you are trying very hard to protect those “elitists” upstairs, too hard infact!
Remember what Anil Netto wrote on his blog:
http://anilnetto.com/accountability/unfinished-business/#more-9155
# Mafrel’s GE2008 election monitoring report:
It’s been one year already, and Mafrel, the civil society election watchdog, has apparently not yet submitted its report to the Election Commission. This was a watershed election – so what’s delaying the report? Will it be submitted to the Election Commission before the three by-elections in April? #
Mr Ong, we all know you need MAFREL and they do you just the same but, don’t you have a conscience and the moral obligation towards the Malaysian public – the electorates, friends and supporters of Mafrel? It’s regretfully SAD.
“…Does that serve your point of searching for truth to rush the reports knowing that the 3-by-elections are stretching the volunteers at Mafrel?…
Thoughts demonstrable of utter incompetency and bad management!
Good example of Murphy’s Law! :))
Halo Salak!
While your comment of `incompetence’ seems caustic-I finally see it as a very high standards that you measure us against! We are supposed to be able to run 3 -by-elections simultaneously and concentrate on finishing 2 reports( compare to Anwar’s complaints that the 3 by-elections are stretching their party’s resources! Is he `incompetent too, by same standards?). If failing this equal to `incompetence’ then I would like to find out who would be the competent ones among us. We are quite happy to invite them to demonstrate his/her `competence’. Meanwhile we would rather be practical to do the `human’ thing by prioritising the urgent by-elections and deal with the reports later.
As to `bad management’ I think we don’t want to compare to top notch financial managers who failed to prevent the world economy from plunging to the greatest depth in this century. Lateness in producing 2 reports could have good reasons on the part of the writers-but measure against the numerous election observation missions which Mafrel managed to deliver so far I think it is not such a disaster yet. Please maintain your proportion and balance. It is also a major `failure’ not to do that!
Salak,
Your suggestion to get a paid executive for Mafrel shows that you have improved on your understanding of the situation, other than yelling `incompetence’! Congrat! Go on some more you will see that there are actually solutions out there relating to resources and energies. Decide for your self if you want to be part of the solution or the problems. The mission of observing election is to improve our rotten election system. Mafrel never want to monopolise this `game’. Jump in with your `paid’ executives or what not. Welcome!
`I have had comments on the the so-called CEO jetting everywhere, staying in posh hotels and bungling on the Penang Vigil, not lifting a finger to assist a housewife enlightened enough to participate. Go figure …!’
Wonder who is the `so called CEO’ -there is no one by that title in Mafrel. Thanks for your `compliments’ `Jetting everywhere’ -where? `Bungling on the Penang vigil’? You mean if police arrest 1 person in the vigil =`bungling’? PJCC vigil get 23 people arrested-is that a bigger `bungling’? Why are you not proportionately concerned? Or your concern is personally linked-that it matters only if someone is linked to it? Why you don’t blame the police who deny people’s rights to peaceful assembly-but pass flippant judgment that the vigil is a `bungling’ while it attracted a couple of hundreds of Penangites to take a stand against ISA? `Not lifting a finger…’Were you there at the police station when the housewife you mentioned face police investigator?
Criticisms are a 2-way sword-if the logics are poor it reflect badly on the critic, not the one criticised. I welcome good critics!
Peng!
Welcome your comments! Late report is not uncommon and it is not neccesarily linked to `unprofessional’ conduct. There are many possible reasons. When Mafrel started the volunteers are contributing their energies to address the issue of our bad election system. But soon our limited energies is overrun by ever greater demands. We need to manage the `success’! So if we failed to deliver in some areas it is bound to happen. But we are not giving up on professionalism. Mafrel had decided to expand the decision making body from a few directors to a 16-members Protem committee of a society to be registered under ROS. This is a strategic move to address the ever growing demand for Mafrel’s voluntary energies.
Now back to the complaints here: notice we actually are open to the comments. We never deny the lateness of the report and we pledged to deal with it when we get around to. What we find disturbing is: the comments failed to prove the main contention that Mafrel intentionally suppress the reports. This is serious-and we welcome the critic’s prove. She never bother to prove -but keep asserting her belief. She can go on to do so-but should anyone demanding of prove and rational thought be swayed unduely by such assertions?
After failing to prove bad intention after she was called upon repeatedly to do it she/Jong changed tack and claim that Mafrel is `incompetent’. Just on account of a late report. She sees nothing of the other reports we have produced, nor the numerous election observation missions we had mounted since 2004. Why her view is such -is it a case of a blinked view?
The comments from her deteriorated quickly-she keep piling up her rather active imagination and `thinking’, on top of sprinkling her comments with numerous name calling. If she is confident of her various claims -then prove them. We in election observation welcome prove. Good prove. That would be professional. She has done none of this. To keep her story line going she bring in other things to `prove’ the lack of `conscience’ of myself. Is that a reflection of the bankruptcy of arguments when what a person can marshall as her ammunition are more and more irrelevant outside matters -and personal ones as well. And she insist that there is nothing `personal’. Something logic is a bit loose here. I would like to deal with her thoughts more-but I’m, together with hundreds of volunteers, engaged in running 3 by-election observation missions concurrently. You can read our reports on this web pages.
Should I stop to bother about such ramblings or should I do the professional thing: let her speak her mind and expose her thinking for all to see and let truth come out eventually? Meanwhile the observation missions have to go on -no one can stop us! Not even a late report! If it was a mistake to be late in 1 report-it does not make sense to stop everything to add to the mistakes by failing to stand up to the occasions for other election observation challenges! Mistake can happen in many situations -the professional way is to address it rationally. No one should stop a ship going just because a chair on it is not arranged in perfect straight line.
So we will persist in what you call a `noble’ mission. We would rather stand judged by our imperfect deeds than escape judgement by idling before truly unconscionable operation of a society and its election system!