"Development Pledges Not Vote-Buying," Says Election Commission Chairman!

Speaking like a senior politician of the Barisan Nasional, the Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said that development promises by ministers to voters during an election cannot be construed as vote-buying. Neither can allocations, given out in kind by ministers during elections, be deemed as bribing voters!

Abdul Rashid further explained that "ministers and functionaries, people connected to the government, they're doing their job." He stressed, however, that election candidates and political parties cannot make promises to voters during an election.

Great! so its OK to bribe the bloody voters outright by dispensing all sorts of goodies, BUT you should not promise anything. Don't tell them that they would be bribed tomorrow, that will be an offence. Just hand over the rasuah today and the ministers and other good-hearted and benevolent pemimpin would be only doing their job!

In any case, the enlightened Election Commission chairman has made it quite clear that vote-buying was not the EC's problem. "It is for the Anti-Corruption Agency to investigate. We are not given the power to handle corrupt practices," he said, adding that the EC could only advise people to take part in the elections in "a clean way".

"Of course, if evidence is there, the party can bring the case to court and they (the courts) will decide," he said.

I wonder if this is the practice in genuine democracies or whether it is peculiar to our country? Like a modern-day Pontius Pilate, Abdul Rashid has washed his hands of any responsibility to curb or discourage the criminal act of pouring in taxpayers' money to buy votes. "Not my problem bradder. I just want to ensure that I stay as Chairman for another few more terms." Thank you Tan Sri. I'm positive that the grateful government will take into consideration the 'saya yang menurut perintah' attitude you so convincingly exhibit.

Detailed report in TheSun.
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