This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on April 29, 2019

KUALA LUMPUR: Should politically-active leaders be appointed as election observers? This is what the Bersih 2.0 coalition for clean and fair elections asks the Election Commission (EC).

The watchdog group asked the EC whether it has a policy in place to address this issue, and whether there is a clear standard operating procedure (SOP) to vet applicants for that role.

Referring to the nominations last Saturday for the Sandakan by-election, Bersih 2.0 said in a statement that Datuk Lajim Ukin, a political leader, was seen wearing the EC’s official T-shirt and name tag of an election observer.

Lajim was the president of the now defunct Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah (PHRS) and is now part of PPBM (Sabah), a coalition partner of Pakatan Harapan (Pakatan). The coalition’s component party DAP is contesting in the by-election.

“Bersih 2.0 is of the view that election observers should be individuals or organisations who are not aligned to any political parties and should not be politically-active politicians, let alone be from contesting parties,” the coalition said.

“The importance of having non-partisan observers for elections cannot be overstated as observers have to evaluate the overall integrity of the election process and their reports can add or diminish legitimacy to the result of the elections. Can politically-partisan politicians be neutral observers?” it said.

Bersih 2.0 welcomed the EC’s openness in appointing local citizen groups and NGOs, including Bersih 2.0, to its Pemerhati programme but stressed that it must not tarnish the integrity of the programme and undermine the neutrality of the EC.

In Sandakan, the DAP candidate for the Sandakan parliamentary by-election, Vivian Wong Shir Yee, said the country needs young leaders to ensure the survival of the national leadership in future, Bernama reported.

“The youths are our future and we need to use their present services to give hope and turn Sandakan into a dynamic urban centre,” she said in her speech at the Sandakan By-Election Premier Talk, here on Saturday night.

Wong, 30, who is the daughter of the late Sandakan member of parliament (MP) Datuk Stephen Wong Tien Fatt, said although she was young, she considered herself as having more than enough experience after having been involved in the political arena for eight years via the DAP and joining her late father in discharging his duty as an elected representative.

“We want more job opportunities for the local people, and now the expansion of the Sandakan Airport runway will be implemented this year which will boost tourism in Sandakan,” she added.

Wong’s mother, Datin Florence Chong Mee Fook, hopes to be able to see the aspirations of her late husband being achieved with the election of their daughter as the Sandakan MP on May 11.

The EC issued 177 postal ballot papers yesterday for the Sandakan by-election, said its chairman Azhar Azizan Harun.

Five postal ballot papers were issued under the category of absent voters abroad, comprising civil servants and their spouses, as well as full-time students and their partners in New Zealand, Nepal and South Korea.

A total of 172 papers were issued for voters comprising election workers who applied for Form 1A, he said in a statement.

Azhar said the process, which was aired live through the EC’s Facebook page, was also witnessed by appointed election observers such as from the Malaysian Youth Council and Darul Ehsan Institute (IDE).

“Voters are reminded not to take pictures of their postal ballot papers or viral it on social media. Action will be taken against offenders,” he said.

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said that the government helmed by Pakatan is clean which will ensure that the outcome of every ringgit spent can be seen by the people without any leakage, misappropriation and corrupt practices.

“We hope the people will enjoy this significant change, that is, development which is clean,” he told reporters after carrying out a friendly observation programme together with Wong at the general market in Sandakan yesterday.