(Kota Melaka, Tuesday): The Election Commission said yesterday it will only be fully prepared by June if the general election and the Sabah state elections are to be held simultaneously.
Commission chairman, Datuk Harun Din said they were all ready for the Sabah state elections but they would not be quite ready if the general election was held as well as it was normal for them to be prepared for any election at the end of the fourth year of a government’s term.
With the latest political developments in the country, the likelihood is for the national general election being held later than earlier, more likely in the second rather than the first half of this year.
Another indication in this direction is the 18-month postponement of the UMNO supreme council elections scheduled in June this year until after the general election, although the Prime Minister can use his prerogative to decide on any timing for the dissolution of Parliament and the holding of general election.
If general election is held in the second half of the year, then Malaysians
who have not registered on the electoral roll can still have a chance to
exercise their vote in the next polls, as the Election Commission is conducting
the annual voters’ registration exercise beginning the end of next month.
Malaysians who want justice, freedom, democracy and good governance
must ensure that every eligible voter is registered on the electoral roll
in the next voters’ registration exercise so that every citizen could
influence the outcome in the next general elections.
Next month’s voters’ registration exercise will be one focal point of the nation-wide "Justice For All" campaign which was launched by the DAP National Chairman, Dr. Chen Man Hin, in Petaling Jaya this morning.
Although the "Justice For All" campaign stems from the injustice suffered by DAP Deputy Secretary-General and MP for Kota Melaka, Lim Guan Eng, it is not confined to his one case alone, but is about the right of all Malaysians regardless of race, religion, gender or status to justice whether political, economic, educational, social, cultural, religions or in the sphere of human rights.
The Lim Guan Eng case and Anwar Ibrahim’s "black eye" scandal have highlighted the injustices in our society and the need for Malaysians to stand up to put a halt to them.
The purpose of the "Justice For All" campaign is to mobilise and galvanise all Malaysians to stand up for their democratic and fundamental rights to justice, freedom, democracy and good governance not only for themselves, but also for their children and children’s children.
With this objective in mind, the DAP will also be launching a mass membership drive in conjunction with the "Justice For All" campaign, which will be carried out country-wide for the next 12 months.
(12/1/99)