Academic consensus on unfair elections: Reinforcing the case for Bersih’s march

Newsflash:

Academic consensus on unfair elections: Reinforcing the case for Bersih’s march

Written by Dr Lim Teck Ghee Monday, 27 June 2011 08:36

CPI Writings

Many Malaysians may be unaware of the considerable research work by social scientists – both local and foreign – that have unequivocally concluded that the country’s record on free and fair elections has been abysmal. Analysis of this remarkable record of trickery, manipulation and gerrymandering by first the Alliance, followed by Barisan Nasional (BN), goes back for more than 50 years – in fact soon after the country received its independence.

Dishonest election conduct takes the following main forms:

the manipulation of electoral boundaries or gerrymandering
the vast disparity of voter numbers among the constituencies
the contamination of electoral rolls with phantom voters and other fraud
the grossly unfair use of the governmental machinery and resources in support of ruling party candidates
impersonation, multiple voting, ballot stuffing and other frauds in polling, counting and tabulation
the rigid and opaque postal voting system
the short campaigning period and selective restriction on campaign freedom
the biased and distorted official media coverage
the inadequate and outdated regulations on election expenses and funding
the ineffectiveness of or limitation in judicial remedy

Adding to the above is the impotency of the Electoral Commission. Lately, there has been an upsurge of political hooliganism which is increasingly coming from high levels and aimed at suppressing any expression of concern over the fair conduct of elections. Thus, it is not surprising that the leaders of the ruling party are confident BN will remain in power – by hook or by crook – for the next 50 years.

Malaysians interested in how the ruling parties have manipulated the electoral process to their advantage are spoilt for choice in the matter of reading material. Reference to the work of any of the following scholars will provide facts and figures on the truth behind the facade of ‘democratic’ elections in the country. Among them are: Sothi Rachagan, Mavis Puthucheary, Noraini Othman, Lim Hong Hai, Wong Chin Huat, Harold Crouch, James Jesudason, John Funston, Rainer Heufers, Bridget Welsh, Ong Kian Meng, Mustafa K. Anuar, James Chin, William Case, Francis Loh Kok Wah, Andrew Aeria, Dan Slater, Simon Barraclough, Gordon P. Means and Diane Mauzy.

A selection of excerpts from some recent published work is provided in the annex (see below).

Unfortunately such accounts have been deliberately obliterated from national media coverage whilst the antics of Ibrahim Ali as well as diversionary issues are prominently broadcast and splashed in the papers. The commentaries of media sycophants focusing on the purported economic losses likely from traffic disruption (aren’t these columnists capable of finding better reasons to explain why the planned march should not take place!) are merely to hoodwink Malaysians whereas the more belligerent editorials resort to intimidation to discourage Bersih supporters marching.

Reading the independent and scholarly work on Malaysian elections should lead most in the country to conclude that the Bersih march has good reason to go ahead, if only to show to the rest of the world that BN’s claim of democratic elections has been one of the oldest – if not the oldest – lie in Malaysian politics.

ANNEX

Excerpts from recent academic writing on elections

“…Thus, the electoral system contained built-in advantages for the Malay community. There was no realistic possibility of a non-bumiputra party’s or coalition’s “going it alone” and winning an election. The only way for Chinese and Indian politicians to participate in government was by allying themselves with Malays, inevitably as junior partners. In practice, only two types of government could emerge from elections: an all-Malay government or a Malay dominated coalition…”

Crouch, Harold (1996)
Government and Society in Malaysia.
St Leonards, New South Wales: Allen and Unwin Australia

“…Malaysia has institutionalised a semi-democratic political system. It does engage in elections, which provide for free choices, and the opposition has won seats. Yet the contest is not a fair one, given state dominance of the media, bias in government funding toward the incumbent BN, continuing electoral irregularities, and constituencies that are constructed to favour BN…”

Welsh, Bridget (2007)
‘Malaysia at 50: Midlife Crisis Ahead?’
Current History pp.106, 699

“…We have demonstrated how the Barisan Nasional has managed to perpetuate its rule through various forms of electoral manipulation and administrative repressions. On one hand, its initial electoral strengths have been entrenched through control of franchise, alternation of international and administrative boundaries, malapportionment and gerrymandering of electoral constituencies, controlled electoral campaigns and polling irregularities. On the other hand, political opposition is disempowered with infringement of civil and political liberties, extensive patronage networks and abuse of federal apparatus to suppress intergovernmental competition. The opposition state governments are discriminated against and in some cases overthrown through direct federal intervention, while the local elections which the ruling coalition had largely failed to win were outright terminated since 1965…”

Wong, Chin-Huat, Chin, James and Othman, Norani (2010)
‘Malaysia – towards a topology of an electoral one-party state’,
Democratization, 17: 5, 920- 949

“…In Malaysia, elections are not fair since basic political rights and civil liberties are restricted. Limitations to press freedom and to the right to associate and assemble, malapportionment, gerrymandering, and the financial advantages of the ruling parties are testimony to the systematic violation of fairness principles…”

Ufen, Andreas (2009)
‘The transformation of political party opposition in Malaysia and its implications for the electoral authoritarian regime’,
Democratization, 16:3, 604-627

“..On average in eleven general elections in Malaysia, the opposition wins 45 percent of the votes, but due to the limits on the opposition within the electoral system, through gerrymandering, malapportionment and the impact of a first-past-the post system, and constraints on political organization for the opposition, holds less than 15 percent of the seats in parliament. In the 2004 election the BN won 63.4 percent of the popular vote, but won 91 percent of the overall seats…”

Welsh, Bridget, Suffian, Ibrahim & Aeria, Andrew (2007)
‘Malaysia country report.’ Asian Barometer

“…All mainstream media are directly controlled by either the government, such as Radio and Television Malaysia (RTM), or by companies that have a close link with the BN’s top leadership, such as Utusan Malaysia, New Straits Times, TV3, and Ntv7. Their relationships with leadership make them favourable to the ruling BN…”

Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani (2009)
‘The Emergence of new politics in Malaysia
– from consociational to deliberative democracy.’
Taiwan Journal of Democracy, Vol. 5, No. 2: 97-125

“The Malaysian electoral system . . . [has been] so heavily loaded in favour of the government that it is hard to imagine that [it] . . . could be defeated in an election."

Crouch, Harold (1996)
Malaysian Government: Authoritarian Repression and Democratic Responsiveness.
Ithaca: Cornell University Press

“…Further, these iterative electoral victories have extended some legitimating cover for the government's often sly legislation, habitual amendments to the constitution, manipulation of standing orders and question time, and elevation of loyalists to the largely ceremonial upper house. In sum, while the government can claim that Malaysia holds the longest unbroken record of elections in the region, it has not been established competitively. As Tun Razak noted in 1971: "So long as the form is preserved, the substance can be changed to suit conditions of a particular country…"

Case, William (1996)
‘Can the "Halfway House’ stand?
Semi-democracy and elite theory in three Southeast Asian countries’. Comparative Politics, Vol. 28, No.4, pp.437-464

“…A further package of factors working in Umno’s favour included an electoral redistribution, changes to electoral laws, and a ‘cleansing’ of the electoral roll. An electoral redistribution carried out by the Election Commission (EC) added 26 seats to parliament, most in areas favourable to Umno in the south (Johor from 20 to 26, Selangor 17 to 22), and Sabah (20 to 25). The northern states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah had no additions. Furthermore, several seats in Kedah won by PAS in 1999 were reorganised with a higher proportion of non-Malay voters, making a repeat PAS victory unlikely.

“…Traditionally, not issues but the ‘three Ms’ – media, money and machinery – are the key determinants of Malaysian elections. (It used to be the ‘four Ms’, before Mahathir retired.) The BN controls all television and radio stations, and all major newspapers, either through its control of government or party ownership. It uses this control to sell the virtues of the BN, and denigrate the opposition. An independent voice does exist in the form of the online newspaper Malaysiakini. Some opposition parties and NGOs also have their own publications on the internet and/or in hard copy. But such publications cannot reach a large audience.

“…The most controversial aspect of the 2004 election campaign was its management by the EC. The elections were the most disorganised and contested ever. In some cases this may simply have reflected incompetence, but EC activities frequently provided direct benefits to the BN, as they had in the revisions of electoral boundaries and membership of the electoral roll.

In the face of very broad concern over EC activities its chairman proposed an independent inquiry into EC conduct. Prime Minister Abdullah quickly rejected this, telling the EC to conduct its own internal inquiry…”

Funston, J. (2006)
‘The Malay Electorate in 2004: Reversing the 1999 Result?’,
in Saw Swee-Hock and K. Kesavapany (ed.),
Malaysia: Recent Trends and Challenges,
Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), Singapore, p. 313

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Comments (6)

05-07-2011 | Samuel Goh Kim Eng - A PEEP AT DEMOCRACY - 050711

A PEEP AT DEMOCRACY - 050711

Will there be a clean sweep
With only wrongdoers to weep
Will democracy get to have a peep
Without innocent folks falling into any pit deep

(C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng
http://motivationinmotion.blogspot.com
Tue.5th Jul.2011.

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27-06-2011 | Chuan

Yes, we can justify with dozens of logical and proven reasons why the Bersih Rally must go on, but the problem is, the very people that are against it don't (insert expletives) read.

That's the problem! We are up against people who don't bother to educate themselves with facts and truths.

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27-06-2011 | ZhangzHo - Political Realities & Racial Equalities

It is an accepted fact that Malaysian Political Power is in the hands of the Malay Community, while Economic Power and Administrative cum Judicial Prowess is in the hands of the Non-Malay Community of Chinese & Indians respectively!

Each of the 3 major Malaysian [Malayan then] communities had, from the first Dawn of Independent Nationhood, agreed happily to undertake complementing, compensating & gratifying roles to "grow" this new "Country" into a beautiful, Multi-Racial, Multi-Religious, Multi-Cultural, Prosperous & Peaceful United Nation!

This "Power Balance" had been harmoniously knitted by our Founding Fathers of Nationhood, led by our late loving Bapa Tunku and his Compatriot Community Leaders of Chinese, Indians & others in 1957.

The 3 "Power" Pillars of our "Nation-Building" and "National-Unity Nurturing" would have established a steadfast & solid Foundation that should have stood up successfully against & weathered all the stormy challenges and the test of time!

What happened and who broke the "sacred" promise made,amongst the 3 major communities?

Greed, Personal Gains, Corruption and Absolute Power from Politics in these so-called "Lawmakers" who are nothing but, political
"criminals" and "traitors" in the likes of those "Special" & ""Privileged" UMNO Malays Political Leaders, in cohorts with their equally, treacherous Non-Malays BN Political Leaders, conniving together SELFISLY to enrich and fatten their pockets & personal wealth.

These UMNO Malays/BN leaders & cronies sold out wholesale, each and every one in their respetive racial communities, comprising the ordinary Malaysians of all races & religions. These good & innocent Malaysian Malaysians gave them unconditional political mandates for 54 years, right up to the 11th General Election, until the 12th GE., when

The 12th General Election became the "watershed" and "awakening dawn" for the "remnants" of the Post-Merdeka Generation and a new Generation of Young Malaysian Malaysians!

The 13th General Election is "JUDGEMENT" day for Malaysians, as the "Truth Prevails".

The Wisdom of the Ancients, as expounded in the logic of "I-Ching" says, ... "All things and events grow unceasingly with inevitable changing developments, ... Even things made of rock will decay and not everlasting,... The alternation of heat and cold gives us the climatic seasons, ... The succession of opposite states holds a lesson for humanity, ... The transformation of things begin at a certain stage, and when things have reached a certain limit, CHANGE is INEVITABLE!,... "

Surely prevailing domestic & international developments bear testimony to "what is to come and what is in store" for our beautiful nation!

That is why we have the UMNO Malays/BN and all the 54 years of abuses and manipulative activities, the "Negatives",... which must make way to a new "Force", an Alternative Government[The PR Coalition of PKR, DAP & PAS?] the "Positives",... and for that to take place, all unstable factors & conditions must be remedied, rectified, balanced & harmonised,...

Is that the reason why, we see the "Blessed" emergence of ...

BERSIH 2.0 and the Malaysian Rakyat's "Walk of Democracy, Justice, Equality & Peace", ...

Is this the INEVITABLE & HEALING Force of "PEOPLE POWER" with the face of "PEACE"?, ..

Henceforth, is this where our nation will see a "BETTER TOMORROW", tomorrow?

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27-06-2011 | charleskiwi - charleskiwi

Until and unless the entire system is changed the present corrupted regime will remain in office.

To get the ball rolling get to the polling station rain or shine and cast your vote to have the corrupted morons from Umno kicked out and then have the EC replaced too. On top of that so must go all the morons like the IGP, the AG, the CJ plus so many others Umno cronies replaced.
That is the beginning of a decent place to live in and the immigrated professionals will return to serve in Malaysia even without the incentives. Then only then will Malaysia move on to the first world !

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27-06-2011 | najib manaukau - najib manaukau

These are how Umno has remained in poser for 53 years since independence. You are right when you said that one way they cheat is the vast disparity voters numbers among the constituencies. One good example is Bukit Bintang where it is mainly Chinese and the number is over 80,000 thousand and Putrajaya where the number is 8,000 and is mainly Malay civil servants. The answer is obvious ! It is pure deceitful and also are they true representation of the people.
The one deceit you over looked to mention is the millions of red identity cards holders who are not given the approval to become citizens and consequently the right to vote. These red I/C card holders plus the oversea Malaysians are thus forbidden to vote. Umno knows very well if these people are given the right to vote there is no question whatsoever for they will vote for.
Both these areas are represented by one M.P. from each area and both of these M.Ps.have one vote each in parliament. A new system to decide how many votes these M.Ps.should have base on the number of voters they represent will no doubt have a big impact on the their representation.
I think it is time a fairer system is implemented !
I am aware that the deceitful and corrupted Umno will never allow that to take place so the only way is to vote the present regime out of their gravy train and pack them out of Putrajaya.

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27-06-2011 | ken destino - BERSIH

In my own study of the Malaysian electoral processes the whole system favours the ruling party. There is no fair elections, only elections that will make the ruling coalition win. Support BERSIH. We are not alone. The US is watching and the world is watching too. There need to be a reform in the country.

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