I was recently invited to speak at the Methodist English Tri-Annual Conference they call English TRAC. The last time they invited me was, I think, nine years ago when it was held in Penang. Both Tan Kee Kwong and I spoke at the same panel then.

This time, I believe, on the same time slot, Selangor state assembly speaker Hannah Yeoh and I spoke. The group managing director/CEO of The Star Media Group who was scheduled to share the same stage with us was absent because he had to attend a funeral, with the sudden passing of the prince in Johor. Therefore, MCA had been invited for the record.

One of the more interesting questions tabled was about the alleged gerrymandering happening in Sarawak and the peninsula; both currently, and in the past. The question was what can honest and truthful citizen Christians do about it? Remember, Romans 13 teaches us to be good citizens.

In fact, one pastor even told me that his request for the Election Commission (EC) to send an assistant registrar (AR) to register young and new voters from his congregation and neighbourhood was not even met. Apparently they said yes, and then never could carry through with their commitments. Why?

In an answer to the queries, I heard for the first time, that the EC had “changed their policy,” when Hannah Yeoh reported that under EC’s new policy; they (EC) no longer appoint party representatives to be ARs. Is this true, EC?

I am directing this question to Abdul Aziz Yusof, the chairperson of EC, as a friend and former colleague. He reported for duty at the National Institute of Public Administration (Intan) while I was registrar after obtaining his Master’s degree. We do know each other.

I remember, at Intan, if one attended the basic policy-making course conducted by another two good friends, Dr Salleh Koyakoti and Ismail Adam, they taught about an objective and classically rational way of policy-making as the best option and contrasted it with “more pendulum swing-like policy-making”.

Pendulum swinging-type policy-making was about following the whims and fancies of “stupid or uninformed ministers” who had not studied the problem at hand, and instead “mau ikut hati mereka”. Therefore, with every new minister responsible for a new function, we get new policies that then become laws. We taught at Intan that no country can be run that way.

Two case stories

I have two case stories to teach the EC about how to review ‘their current and stupid policy’ of the non-appointment of assistant registrars from more credible ‘others’.

First is the case story of assistant registrars for marriages. We all know that Malaysia is a multi-ethnic nation-state under UN membership and oversight. Therefore we are accountable and can be held responsible under UN regulations and treaties for any related or relevant misconduct.

For marriages, at least within the Christian tradition that I am familiar with, the director general of the National Registration Department appoints many pastors, from different Christian sub-traditions and leanings, to become assistant registrars. Therefore, they have the full authority of conducting the marriage (as a pastor) and then to carry out the marriage certificate issuance by the same pastor, but now deputised as an assistant registrar of the National Registration Department.

As a result of this approach, to the best of my knowledge, there has never been any serious issue related to ‘idiocratic’ actions of public officials when it comes to Christian marriages.

Frankly, I do not know of any explicit complaints from other faiths, but I believe this has been no serious enough problem either. That is one area of Malaysian administrative excellence in our nation-state. The same, however, cannot be said of the registration and issuance of identity cards. But that is not the subject of this column. So, neither is this a blind accolade to the DG either.

Assistant registrars of voter registration

Why should there not be many, many credible and reputable persons and organisations being registered as assistant registrars for voter registration? Do we already have a 100 percent registration rate? Was not such a complementary partnership model used in the past a good policy to get more registration of voters? Are not more voters better for a democracy than fewer voters?

From the EC’s records, was that not how some younger people registered before the last general election (GE), when they were made assistant registrars?

That is my next case story. My good friend and also Administrative and Diplomatic Service (PTD) colleague and university classmate, the former deputy chairperson at the EC will remember that he helped us issue a registration authority for a younger group who then went on to prove to be very effective. Has that open policy really changed now? I would like to know why? Being EC commissioners; they are sworn to uphold the national interest.

Transparent and professional registrations are what define a better democracy. We cannot allow or tolerate the ‘idiocracy’ of non-registration of new voters just because there is a fear that they may vote for the opposition. It is the right of every citizen to vote and choose the next government of the day.

Is there therefore some secret or unstated agenda by Umno, and supported by the EC, to not allow new voters because there is a genuine likelihood they will not vote for the government of the day?

Therefore my open question to the chairperson of the Election Commission, and its commissioners; why this change of policy? Or, are you all really simply taking another trip to Abilene , colluding with Umno, as per my last column?

Be forewarned

I am told that as part and parcel of the Thirteenth Schedule, part 5b of the Election Commission Act, reads:

5. Where, on the publication of the notice under section 4 of a proposed recommendation of the Election Commission for the alteration of any constituencies, the commission receive any representation objecting to the proposed recommendations from –

(a) the state government or any local authority whose area is wholly or partly comprised in the constituencies affected by the recommendation; or

(b) a body of one hundred or more persons whose names are shown on the current electoral rolls of the constituencies in question,

the commission shall cause a local enquiry to be held in respect of those constituencies.

Unless, we the rakyat get a good and sensible answer, we are definitely going to organise ourselves not only to register our votes, but also getting prepared to make our complaints with 100 registered voters. Please be forewarned that you give us little or no choice.