27.03.2012
Malaysia's electoral reform group Bersih wants Prime Minister Najib Razak to hold off polls until all proposed reforms have been implemented.
The coalition of 62 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) also vows to return to the streets, if the election commission fails to clean up the electoral roll.
This comes after a government report showed thousands of cases of multiple voters being registered under the same addresses.
Amid swirling rumours of a general election in June this year, Prime Minister Najib faces renewed pressure to deliver on his promise for electoral reform.
This, especially after a state-run agency's report revealed more than 11,000 cases where multiple voters were registered under the same address nationwide.
Of these, 820 cases had more than 100 voters registered under a single address.
The report has sparked public concern.
The election commission has been accused of dragging its feet in cleaning up the electoral roll.
DAP youth chief Anthony Loke said: "We talk about transparent electoral process. It's not just about indelible ink, advanced voting.
"Of course, those things are important but what's more important and the more fundamental issue is the electoral roll must be clean. If it's not clean, even though you have indelible ink, it will not serve the purpose."
Former bar council chair Ambiga Sreenevasan has warned Mr Najib's administration to get ready for a Bersih 3.0 rally if all the reforms are not rolled out.
Some NGOs have other ideas.
PY Wong of Tindak Malaysia said: "Why would political parties participate in electoral process which is latently flawed?
"In every country in the world, a ruling government needs legitimacy. Once it loses the legitimacy, people will start looking for options -- you don't need to tell people to go the streets."
Mr Najib had set up a parliament select committee last year to improve the electoral system, after thousands took to the streets in the Bersih 2.0 rally.
But the committee chair says it has its limits.
Parliamentary Select Committee for Electoral Reforms chairman Maximus Ongkili said: "We are not expected to be able to solve all -- impossible."
He also defended the electoral roll.
"There are many possibilities in many of these flats, long houses, kampung -- they use common addresses, so we have sifted through these things to see whether they are real."
The committee is due to finalise and submit its report at the end of the week.
The coalition of 62 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) also vows to return to the streets, if the election commission fails to clean up the electoral roll.
This comes after a government report showed thousands of cases of multiple voters being registered under the same addresses.
Amid swirling rumours of a general election in June this year, Prime Minister Najib faces renewed pressure to deliver on his promise for electoral reform.
This, especially after a state-run agency's report revealed more than 11,000 cases where multiple voters were registered under the same address nationwide.
Of these, 820 cases had more than 100 voters registered under a single address.
The report has sparked public concern.
The election commission has been accused of dragging its feet in cleaning up the electoral roll.
DAP youth chief Anthony Loke said: "We talk about transparent electoral process. It's not just about indelible ink, advanced voting.
"Of course, those things are important but what's more important and the more fundamental issue is the electoral roll must be clean. If it's not clean, even though you have indelible ink, it will not serve the purpose."
Former bar council chair Ambiga Sreenevasan has warned Mr Najib's administration to get ready for a Bersih 3.0 rally if all the reforms are not rolled out.
Some NGOs have other ideas.
PY Wong of Tindak Malaysia said: "Why would political parties participate in electoral process which is latently flawed?
"In every country in the world, a ruling government needs legitimacy. Once it loses the legitimacy, people will start looking for options -- you don't need to tell people to go the streets."
Mr Najib had set up a parliament select committee last year to improve the electoral system, after thousands took to the streets in the Bersih 2.0 rally.
But the committee chair says it has its limits.
Parliamentary Select Committee for Electoral Reforms chairman Maximus Ongkili said: "We are not expected to be able to solve all -- impossible."
He also defended the electoral roll.
"There are many possibilities in many of these flats, long houses, kampung -- they use common addresses, so we have sifted through these things to see whether they are real."
The committee is due to finalise and submit its report at the end of the week.
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