Treason is giving away citizenship for votes, says Ambiga
KUALA LUMPUR - Treason is giving away citizenship for votes at the ballot box and not asking for clean elections, Bersih chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said today, a day after an Umno MP called for her to be hanged.
The prominent lawyer-activist has led the call for the federal government to reform the election process and rid voter roll of dubious entries, for which she has been repeatedly branded a "traitor" by right-wing elements within the pro-Barisan Nasional (BN) establishment. They have also demanded for her citizenship to be stripped.
But an Umno lawmaker went a step further yesterday and called for Ambiga (picture) to be hanged for pushing electoral reforms through two street demonstrations, which the Najib administration has said was a bid to topple the government.
“Shouldn’t we also hang Ambiga for treason towards the (Yang diPertuan) Agong? Traitors should be punished as harshly as possible,” Sri Gading MP Datuk Mohamad Aziz said in Parliament last night, referring to the violent spectacle in the nation's capital after the April 28 Bersih rally.
The four-term federal lawmaker had compared Ambiga to leaders of the Al-Ma’unah militants who tried to overthrow the government in 2000 and were eventually sentenced to death by hanging for “waging war against the King,” the first people to be convicted of the offence.
“‘Off with her head!!’ Sounds like Alice in Wonderland! The statement, of course, reflects more on the maker than on me,” Ambiga said in response to Mohamad’s remark.
“But seriously, I have a question for this MP. Are the reforms sought by Bersih going to be fully implemented before the 13th GE?” she asked, in an emailed reply to The Malaysian Insider.
She pointed out that the rumoured early 13th general election no longer appeared to be on the cards, allowing the Najib administration time to meet Bersih’s eight demands, which include cleaning up the electoral roll ahead of polls.
“The offer by civil society to help with the cleaning up of the electoral roll still stands, and as he is an elected MP, I believe the public would be more interested in his response to these critical questions,” Ambiga said.
She added: “As for treason, asking for free and fair elections is not treason. Giving away citizenship for votes is.”
By Debra Chong
TREASON TO EXERCISE YOUR DEMOCRATIC RIGHT?
ReplyDeleteJust do whatever you feel like to do it.
DeleteAmbiga is totally out of the league.
DeleteThe people know their democratic rights, worry not.
DeleteHope that the RCI will be set up soon so that the Project IC issue can be resolved.
ReplyDeleteharap RCI akan segera ditubuhkan...projek IC harus dihapuskan..
DeletePenubuhan pun lama, apa lagi pelaksanaannya nanti. sepatutnya dari dulu RCI ni diterima.
DeletePenelitian secara terperinci adalah penting sebelum memutuskan RCI ini dapat dilaksanakan dengan jayanya atau sebaliknya.
DeleteI'm waiting for the last draft to be signed.
DeleteMasalah projek ic telah lama diperkatakan tetapi sehingga kini masih tiada tindakan wajar untuk selesaikannya.
DeleteOnce the Terms of Reference have been finalized, the RCI will be set up.
DeleteMasalah Projek IC telah lama berlaku, mungkin dengan penubuhan RCI dapat selesaikan masalah ini.
DeleteRCI is in the progress, hope it won't take too long.
DeleteThe SPR needs to clean up the voter registration list before the next general elections so that the dubious voters can be eliminated from the list.
ReplyDeleteThe EC is responsible to ensure the election is clean and fair. The NRD is not supposed to give away the MyKad to the illegals.
Deleteya..SPR harus melakukannya segera..
DeleteSPR kena pastikan senarai pengundi benar2 bersih., tak da lagi pengundi hantu.
DeleteSPR dan JPN perlu bekerjasama untuk laksanakan tugas ni.
DeleteSemua pihak ken abagi kerjasama dalam perkara ini kalau mahukan PRU berjalan seadil yang mungkin.
DeleteIf the dubious voters are not being eliminated yet from the list, then GE should be postponed.
DeleteThe Election Commission is indeed vital in washing away doubtful voters.
DeleteEC harus mengkaji semula sistem PRU untuk menjamin PRU yang lebih adil dan besih. Sering sistem PRU diragui terutama penggunaan pati untuk mengundi.
DeleteHope that the EC will ensure that the next general elections is fair and clean.
DeleteTo ensure clean election is SPR responsibilities.
DeleteApa yang kerajaan akan buat dengan senarai nama yang tidak berkelayakan?
DeleteWhat's the point to vote if it is violated by phantom and PATAI voters?
ReplyDeleteThat's why these problems need to be overcome before the 13th GE.
Deletemaka SPR harus membersihkan senarai nama pemilih sebelum pru13..
Deletekalau RCI dilaksakan pun sebelum PRU pasti tempoh masa yang panjang diperlukan untuk buat siasatan.
Deleteno point voting if the election is not clean and fair.
DeleteElection shouldn't be held till bersih is sure that the election will be held clean and fair.
DeletePengundi hantu memang banyak wujud sudah.
DeleteSebelum pilihan raya, pastikan masalah pengundi hantu dapat di selesaikan agar PRU yang diadakan nnti lebih bersih dan aman.
DeleteThen proof it when you made a statement.
ReplyDeleteapa punya england ni?
DeleteNo one is going to listen when you have no proof.
ReplyDeleteSo cara terbaik bagi bukti dan pastikan bukti itu boleh dipercayai. Kalau tidak, buang masa saja:P
Deletetrue indeed. seeing is believing.
Deleteof course giving away citizenship for votes is a treason towards the nation, the king and the people..
ReplyDeletethat's why we ask for the RCI...
ReplyDeleteRCI perlu ditubuhkan segera.
DeleteSampai masanya nanti RCI pasti akan ditubuhkan:)
DeleteWe need RCI to be set up in sabah or else we will never get a fair result from the election.
DeleteThe stupid guy who asked if ambiga should b hanged did so out of desperation for political mileage or publicity space so that he is seen as hero and a winnable candidate. But in doing so he is making himself a fool.
ReplyDeleteBila-bila PRU boleh diumumkan, kit aready sajalah nanti. Tak kira RCI sempat atau tak ditubuhkan, yang penting kita harus tahu siapa yang patut disokong nanti.
ReplyDeleteyang penting bijak mengundi.
DeleteRCI pasti akan di tubuhkan, PM telah berjanji, dan pasti akan di tunaikan.
DeleteHopefully RCI can be implemented in sabah as soon as possible.
ReplyDeleteBN is using our Sabahan future n rights to win election by letting Filipino to vote. Look around us we look like staying in philippine already don't we?
ReplyDeleteSandakan n lahad Dato full of these people. They steal electricity and whatnot but authority just don't bother. These people can have free water n electricity but we Sabahan have to pay through our nose!!!
What the explanation where illegal immigrant to gain Mykad easily? What about the original citizen?
ReplyDeleteThe status of a citizen with its attendant duties, rights, and privileges.
DeleteTubuhkan RCI untuk membuat siasatan yang wajar. Golongan PATI yang bertambahan memberi isyarat projek ic adalah benar.
ReplyDeleteharap RCI yang akan ditubuhkan nanti akan mampu selesaikan isu pati di Sabah.
DeleteSemua orang tahu apa yang berlaku cuma bukti belum diperolehi lagi. kami harapkan PRU yang lebih bersih, tiada sesiapa berhak membuat apa-apa terhadap pilihan rakyat sendiri.
ReplyDeleteKerjasama dari semua pihak dapat mencari jalan penyelesaian dalam kes ic projek ini.
ReplyDeleteAmbiga hanya ingin merosakkan keamanan Negara sahaja.
ReplyDeleteKenapa pula sistem PRU diragui? Pasti ada sebab.
ReplyDeletePertambahan golongan PATI memang satu keadaan yang luar biasa, tidak hairan jika ada golonagn meragui dan mengharapkan siasatan.
ReplyDeletesemua harus bersungguh-sungguh untuk membanteras golongan pati.
DeleteThe modern idea of citizenship still respects the idea of political participation, but it is usually done through "elaborate systems of political representation at a distance" such as representative democracy.Modern citizenship is much more passive; action is delegated to others; citizenship is often a constraint on acting, not an impetus to act.Nevertheless, citizens are usually aware of their obligations to authorities, and are aware that these bonds often limit what they can do.
ReplyDeleteSPR perlu memainkan peranan mereka bagi memastikan masalah pengundi yang meragukan ini dapat ditangani.
ReplyDeleteKehadiran PATI yang semakin meningkat ini sangat membimbangkang penduduk Sabah. Kerana ini akan menjejaskan dan memberikan masalah kepada Negeri kita akan datang.
ReplyDeletesebab itulah usaha untuk membanteras pati perlu dibuat sepanjang masa.
Deletememastikan pilihanraya berjalan dengan adil dan telus adalah tanggungjawab spr.
ReplyDeleteSPR perlu sentiasa berusaha untuk menjalankan tugas mereka dengan baik.
ReplyDeletejadi yang Ambiga buat demonstrasi di luar negara tu bukan pengkhianatan terhadap negara ka??
ReplyDeleteMalaysia's parliament approved widespread changes to the electoral process.
ReplyDeleteThe parliament select committee on electoral reforms had recommended 22 changes.
ReplyDeleteThese include increasing the minimum campaign period and the introduction of automatic voter registration.
ReplyDeletePostal voting will also be allowed for Malaysians living overseas as well as members of the media.
ReplyDeleteWhile the proposal was passed in the lower house without a debate, the opposition led by their leader Anwar Ibrahim, later challenged the speaker to apologise for disallowing a minority report on alleged electoral fraud to be tabled in parliament.
ReplyDeleteThe bi-partisan select committee was set up after the Bersih 2.0 rally that saw thousands took to the streets last year demanding free and fair elections.
ReplyDeleteWhile the use of indelible ink in this coming election was allowed, the demand for a 21 day campaign period was rejected. The committee instead recommended 10 days for campaigning.
ReplyDeleteMalaysians living abroad will be allowed to cast their votes via post instead of advance voting.
ReplyDeleteAnd for the first time, postal voting is also allowed for members of the media and election commission workers who number about 240,000.
ReplyDeleteBut without a clean electoral roll, the opposition said the election can never be fair after recent report showed at least 42,000 dubious voters on the list.
ReplyDeleteThe opposition Democratic Action Party's adviser Lim Kit Siang, said: "The crux of the problem is a clean and legitimate electoral roll. Without which, we cannot have a free and fair election and the coming election can become the dirtiest."
ReplyDeleteThe committee chair has defended their findings, accusing the opposition of playing up the issue of electoral fraud to gain support.
ReplyDeleteMaximum Ongkili, who is the chairman of the Parliament Select Committee on Electoral Reforms, said: "It cannot be solved in one day. Even the United States claimed that 20 per cent of voters list are dubious because people die every day."
ReplyDeleteMP of Hulu Selangor, Kamalanathan Panchanathan, said: "Tell me one country in the world that has a clean voters list? They are afraid of their own shadows."
ReplyDeleteDemocratic Action Party's youth chief, Anthony Loke, said: "Why Bersih 2.0 captured the imaginations of the people was because they wanted to see changes and a clean election in the next general election. The next election is the most critical."
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, the coalition of 62 NGOs for electoral reform has threatened to return to the streets with a Bersih 3.0 rally if the election commission does not clean up the electoral roll and implement all reforms before the next election.
ReplyDelete