On Jan 8, in open comments characterized by Kamaruzaman as "utopian," Rashid pronounced a choosing laws of Malaysia could no longer safeguard justice for antithesis domestic parties. Rashid pronounced choosing laws should be nice to give a EC energy to safeguard giveaway as well as fair media reporting, take to court persons who injustice open funds during their campaigns, hospital as well as make limits upon domestic celebration spending, as well as forestall corrupt practices such as vote shopping during elections.
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Summary
1. (C) As Malaysia moves closer to a subsequent national elections, electoral remodel faces a really steep uphill battle, a conclusion highlighted during our recent meetings with Election Commission (EC) officials, NGO leaders as well as multiform academics. The UMNO-led Barisan Nasional (BN) statute bloc retains parsimonious carry out over probably all critical levers of power, together with a EC.
Two electoral remodel groups shaped given a final ubiquitous choosing in 2004 - MAFREL as well as BERSIH - commend which grass roots engagement of a open will be required to outcome suggestive changes to an electoral complement h! eavily t ilted in a BN's favor. Both groups intend to prominence electoral hurdles as well as pull for embracing a cause of electoral reforms in many critical areas such as: election-day make make use of of of memorable ink upon voters; Election Act changes to safeguard balanced media entrance as well as stipulations upon domestic celebration spending; as well as empowerment of a EC to rise as well as make stricter campaigning as well as election-day manners as well as regulations.
Their best! efforts will almost positively not produce suggestive reforms to a electoral complement over during slightest a middle term. UMNO, in energy given independence, faces no in effect public, antithesis celebration or internal vigour to revoke a strenuous powers of incumbency. End Summary.
Election Commission - Technocrats, Not Reformers
2. (SBU) The Malaysian Election Commission's (EC) Secretary General, Kamaruzaman garbage bin Mohd Noor, as well as nine of his subordinates briefed poloffs upon Mar 6 about a EC's handling structure as well as current activities. Kamaruzaman emphasized which a EC falls underneath a purview as well as management of a Prime Minister's office. He pronounced all changes to electoral rules, regulations as well as policies suggested by a EC's 7 commissioners contingency therefore be submitted to t! he PM's bureau for approval. In describing a purpose of EC commissioners, led by EC Chairman Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman, Kamaruzaman pronounced they "are not in a in front of to enact reforms."
He serve stated which a EC "does not have a energy to inspect choosing day abuses." He pronounced allegations of rascal or choosing tampering have been referred by a EC to possibly a military or a GOM's Anti-Corruption Agency for investigation.
(Bio Note: Kamaruzaman obtained his undergraduate as well as connoisseur degrees from Penn State University. He spoke really tenderly of his years in America during a 1980s. End Bio Note.)!
3. (C) Kamaruzaman's statements about a feebleness of EC powers were reflected in a array of comments to reporters during early 2007 by EC Chairman Rashid.
On Jan 8, in open comments characterized by Kamaruzaman as "utopian," Rashid pronounced a choosing laws of Malaysia could no longer safeguard justice for antithesis domestic parties. Rashid pronounced choosing laws should be nice to give a EC energy to safeguard giveaway as well as fair media reporting, take to cou! rt perso ns who injustice open funds during their campaigns, hospital as well as make limits upon domestic celebration spending, as well as forestall corrupt practices such as vote shopping during elections.
Rashid after backpedaled from these comments while emphasizing a UMNO celebration line which a EC cannot beginner electoral reforms underneath a own authority.
4. (C) Opposition figures, together with Anwar Ibrahim, told us they welcomed Rashid's short-lived calls for reform, though did not expect them to go anywhere. Some noticed Rashid's remarks as a approach for him to say personal credibility, though he knew a supervision would not take up his recommendations.
5. (SBU) During a five decades of UMNO's rule, antithesis parties have routinely criticized EC commissioners as beholden to UMNO. All EC commissioners, together with a Chairman, have been allocated by a King shaped upon a advice of a PM. They might not be private from bureau before to age 65, solely upon identical drift as well as in a identical demeanour as pertains to a removal of a justice from a Federal Court (Malaysia's peak court).
6. (C) Under complicated influence from UMNO, a EC has used a energy underneath a constitution to gerrymander voter districts each eight years in BN-controlled states. In addition, UMNO keeps choosing debate cycles really short (8 days for a final ubiquitous choosing in 2004).
Opposition parties have been effectively precluded from entrance to mainstream media outlets during debate days, while advertisements as well as positive stories about BN possibilities as well as parties inundate a newspapers as well as airwaves. And while individual possibilities for state assemblies as well as a federal parliament might not outlay some-more than $ 28,500 (RM100,000) as well as $ 57,000 (RM200,000) upon their particular campaigns, their domestic celebration machines might legally outlay unlimited amounts of income upon any individual race. Therefore, a resources imbalance between a BN as! well as antithesis parties additionally contributes heavily toward a BN's choosing dominance.
The EC now has no legal equates to to challenge any of these practices were it so inclined.
MAFREL Educates with U.S. Funding
7. (C) On Feb thirteen a President of Malaysians for Free as well as Fair Elections (MAFREL), Abd Malek Hussin, described MAFREL's electoral remodel efforts to us. MAFREL is not dependent with any domestic celebration as well as is 100% saved by a USG through a International Republican Institute (IRI).
Hussin pronounced MAFREL's first goals have been educating a open about a choosing routine as well as stating upon choosing crime as well as electoral abuses, in an bid to "narrow a ability of a BN to engage in patently fake choosing practices." He said, "We wish to prod (UMNO) toward remodel and, if necessary, embarrass them into receiving action to urge a integrity as well as probity of elections."
8. (C) Building upon MAFREL's successful monitoring of a Sarawak state assembly choosing upon May 20, 2006 (ref A), Hussin has established a personal attribute with EC Chairman Rashid. Hussin visited Rashid's home upon Oct 25 as well as spoke privately with him for 3 hours about electoral issues.
Ac cording to Hussin, Rashid pronounced MAFREL "is in danger of being noticed as a US puppet" as well as contingency diversify a appropriation divided from a IRI. Hussin was primarily reluctant to encounter with us in public; you ultimately met him during a small suburban restaurant. To demonstrate a border of their personal relationship, Hussin showed us an SMS from Rashid inviting Hussin to stick upon an EC fact-finding trip to South Africa to inspect their electoral process. Hussin has not nonetheless accepted a invitation. He is concerned which MAFREL's picture as an eccentric actor could be tarnished.
9. (C) During their discussion, Hussin claimed Rashid certified his approach involvement in UMNO's murky 1990s pull to pretence domestic c! arry out of a East Malaysia state of Sabah. During which decade, UMNO granted citizenship as well as Malaysian Identity Cards (ICs) to over 600,000 unfamiliar displaced person workers (predominantly Muslims from Indonesia as well as Mindanao) in Sabah, in sell for their votes in state assembly elections (ref B). UMNO-affiliated parties subsequently took over all of Sabah's state assembly seats.
Acco! rding to Hussin, Rashid "admitted to privately arising over 60,000 fake Malaysian ICs in Sabah," to assistance UMNO pretence domestic carry out there.
10. (C) Hussin told us Rashid characterized his Deputy EC Chairman, Wan Omar, as "an UMNO member who is anti-reform." Rashid pronounced he wishes to sojourn as Chairman of a EC until "the number dual is gone" as well as Rashid can pass a EC care layer to a EC's Secretary General Kamaruzaman.
BERSIH's Long as well as Winding Road Ahead
11. (C) While MAFREL has attempted to say a non-partisan position during a pull for electoral reform, a Coalition for Clean as well as Fair Elections (Malay acronym: BERSIH, meaning "clean") represents a interests of Malaysia's largest antithesis parties, namely a Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS), a Democratic Action Party (DAP) as well as a People's Justice Party (PKR). These 3 parties shaped BERSIH in 2006 as well as BERSIH has given gained a publicity of over 50 polite multitude NGOs.
The National Democratic Institute (NDI) in a roundabout way provided BERSIH with a $ 40,000 accede to to be depleted during February-May 2007 upon informal meetings, leaflets as well as growth of BERSIH's website (www.bersih.org).
12. (C) BERSIH's spokesman as well as steerin! g dedicate tee member, Sivarasa Rasiah, told us upon Feb twenty-three which BERSIH intends to aspire to 3 main goals: make make use of of of memorable ink upon a fingers of all election-day voters, clean-up of a electoral rolls, as well as abolishment of postal votes solely for diplomats as well as other overseas voters.
Bo th a PM's bureau as well as a EC have already deserted a make make use of of of memorable ink as "primitive as well as unnecessary," though BERSIH has challenged a EC to possibly adopt a complement or provide an alternative which would forestall people from casting multiple votes.
13. (C) Sivarasa independently reliable EC Chairman Rashid's statements to MAFREL's Hussin about EC period planning. Sivarasa told us Omar "would be a mess for a antithesis parties." Like Rashid, BERSIH would cite Kamaruzaman to take a EC Chairmanship, following Rashid's retirement.
Sivarasa commented which UMNO will likely keep Rashid as EC Chairman "at slightest until a subsequent ubiquitous election, as he lends a veneer of legitimacy to a choosing process." Rashid has to illustrate distant rebuffed BERSIH's requests for a meeting. Kamaruzaman told us he would encounter with BERSIH if a meeting remained singular to deliberating a EC's doing of existent laws as well as regulations.
14. (C) BERSIH intends to establish a grass-roots electoral remodel beginning in April 2007 during a large convene in Kuala Lumpur. Anwar Ibrahim is expected to be a keynote speaker. As with other large events organized by antithesis parties as well as NGOs here, a convene will be held in a hotel ballroom, as a military permit for an open-air open convene of this sort would almost positively be denied. BERSIH is now registered as a corporation, as a GOM's Registrar of Societies deserted a duplicate for recognition as an NGO.
Comment
15. (C) UMNO as well as a bloc partners have held energy given Malaysia's autonomy in 1957. Only a statute parties of North Korea, China as well as Paraguay have outlasted UMNO's 50-year tenure. Malaysia's tranquil style of democracy is not as well dissimilar from other Asian countries which have or had dominant one-party or bloc governments.
UMNO celebration leaders acknowledge which remodel will in a future be required to damp a voting public, though for now ! UMNO enj oys sufficiently wide await from a Malay base. Race-based politics ensu! res for a foreseeable future which a majority Malays will go upon to await UMNO initiatives as well as leadership.
Nevertheless, as education levels of a country rise, remodel will benefit an ever louder voice. Some young UMNO politicians see remodel coming, though openly confess which energy is never simply surrendered. Current laws shorten media freedom, giveaway association, domestic activities upon campuses, open assemblies, as well as clarity in supervision buying contracts as well as policy-making.
The supervision effectively employs a confidence services, particularly a police, for domestic ends. These factors, when joined with a senior manager branch's carry out over a EC, will safeguard UMNO's one after another prevalence over a domestic scene.
16. (C) PM Abdullah's promises to rise transparent as well as accountable domestic institutions do not magnify to electoral reforms which could weaken UMNO's energy base. As Abdullah approaches a end of his first term, Malaysian politics sojourn some-more about despotic continuity than change.
Abdullah has exercised some-more patience than his predecessor, Mahathir, in using a restrictive governmental controls during his disposal. Opposition leaders confess there is some-more democratic space underneath Abdullah, though they attribute this to Abdullah's diseased care rather than his efforts to hospital genuine reforms. Nevertheless, you hold conjunction Abdullah nor his celebration would hesitate to plead a despotic strict measures during their disposal, if seriously challenged.
17. (C) A strong challenge to UMNO's prevalence seems unlikely to manifest any time soon. The first Malay-based antithesis party, PAS, cannot create an in effect bloc with non-Malays due to PAS' Isla! obscurity age nda. Other antithesis parties suffer from a paucity of capable as well as charismatic leaders - with a probable exception of Anwar Ibrahim - who could m! obilize enough open await for suggestive changes to a electoral system.
Moreover, a antithesis generally cannot entrance a mainstream media to effectively get a message across. Absent a vital crisis, vigour for changes to a complement would need to come from inside of UMNO, as well as you have nonetheless to see any denote factions inside of a statute celebration await a rebate in their strenuous powers of incumbency.
LAFLEUR (March 2007)
Malaysians Must Know a TRUTH
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