'It sounds like a sophisticated way to cheat the public. Why not the indelible ink option - it is not only cheap but effective as well.'

Gov't to fund EC's biometric system: PM

Voice: The voters want indelible ink, not electronic systems that can be manipulated. Previously the EC cancelled the use of indelible ink just before the 12th general election and gave the reason that there is a loophole and people can sue the government for this practice.

A few years have gone by and the EC head still says the same thing. But why has nothing been done during this period to amend the law to plug the loopholes and allow indelible ink?

I am convinced if they had wanted to change the laws to do so, Pakatan Rakyat would have also voted for it in Parliament.

Anyway, who is going to sue the government for the use of indelible ink? I believe this biometric system will not able to solve the phantom voters problem.

Kgen: The simplest way to counter phantom voters is indelible ink. It's simple, cost effective and it works.

But the EC does not want to implement this because BN will suffer. It is now pretending to study a biometric system (using a voter's physical characteristic like fingerprint or iris pattern), which will not be implemented in time for the 13th general election, and probably never, because the task of collecting every voter's biometric will be just too great.

In any case, a biometric system is only as good as the computer programme used to control it; it can be programmed to grant illegal permission for multiple voting.

KitCat: The whole election process needs to be revamped from the very first letter upwards as it is deeply flawed. The rakyat cried foul when BN won in 'buy-elections' because we all know they were won by cheating in every possible way.

We have had enough of the BN regime's nonsense. We want changes in how constituencies' boundaries are being demarcated for parliamentary seats, polling centres being reassigned much to voters' surprise, etc.

We so jijik (despise) the regime's scheming ways. In one simple word that even a two-year-old can understand, we want the next election to be 'bersih'.

Gerard Samuel Vijayan: No wonder we have become the laughing stock of the whole world where the government resorts to a nuclear weapon in order to kill a mosquito.

What is wrong with a public demand for electoral reforms since both the BN and Pakatan have admitted flaws in the system?

The fact remains that the hallmark of any democracy is the ability of the majority to tolerate and allow minority voices to be heard even if the government's image may be affected. No government is perfect to the point that it is beyond criticism and reproach, but PM Najib Razak thinks otherwise.

His poor example of electoral honesty by the BN is qualified by his statement that the BN is still the majority - so if the BN does not win, then they can cheat.

Jiminy Qrikert: On June 8, Kota Kinabalu MP Hiew King Cheu asked about the BN government's plan to grant amnesty and legalise two million illegal immigrants, "Are they going to put in more illegal foreigners to make them Sabahans and the ‘New Bumiputras' just for the sake of using them to vote for them?"

On June 21, DPM Muhyiddin Yassin described the 6P Plan exercise as a "total package solution" saying these illegal immigrants will be registered in a biometric system.

On July 13, Home Ministry secretary-general Mahmood Adam said the exercise, which was supposed to kick off on Monday, was postponed to Aug 1 to make way for the implementation of the biometric registration of legal foreign workers which is being done until July 31.

So given that digital identity manipulation is easily executed and the track record of the BN government in blatantly granting citizenship to illegals to vote for them, is the biometric system EC's latest ploy to rescue BN from imminent defeat in GE13?

Anonymous_3f35: Biometric systems are software driven and they can be programmed to do whatever the government directs them to do. For instance, it can allow the same person to vote at two different constituencies.

All manner of other fraud can be done with the biometric system and it would be impossible to check - just use indelible ink.

Ben Hor: A biometric system? Is there going to be a fair, open and transparent tender to see who can do it for the best price?

I'm suspicious to hear the government suddenly so eager to implement a new system. I guess it is a ‘touche' move from the Bersih 2.0's demands that the government can take advantage off.

Magic.1007: The truth of the matter is the vendor has probably already been decided. The letter of award will be issued within a fortnight. Look out for the announcement, but don't be upset with PM Najib Razak when you find out that the company is Umno-linked. It is a mere coincidence, okay?

2cts worth: Biometric system? It sounds like a nice and sophisticated way to cheat the public. Why not the indelible ink option - it is not only cheap but effective as well.

Anonymous: The biometric system can also be abused - the same fingerprint can be used by 100 or more, even thousands if there is a desire to commit fraud, because it reads data that has been input into the system.

The best way is using the indelible ink method together with the biometric method to prevent any fraud by any party.

ForTruth&Justice: Indelible ink is simple, low cost, quick to implement, and doesn't need any fanciful computers, database, electronic communications, etc.

Go for indelible ink. Don't swat a fly with a laser-guided missile.

Scorpene dinner a blast despite missing lawyer

Moontime: I have a nasty feeling that despite the impending revelation regarding the Scorpene submarine commission's beneficiaries, one name will be missing: Najib Razak.

One of the reasons he came back early from his holidays is to ensure his name is not on the list. It would be extremely humiliating for him to be caught on corruption charges, of all places in France.

Never underestimate Najib, he is a wily politician who knows how to avoid this kind of problem via a few phone calls and tete-a-tete with a few influential person.

I sincerely hope that enough concrete evidence will be found to link him in the scandal and that the prosecutors could prepare a water-tight case to indict him.

JusticeKini: Remember, you can ‘kill' the messenger but you cannot kill the message. The message is clear: people want better accountability and transparency.

French lawyer William Bourdon is just bringing the truth and the truth hurts. As in X-Files, the truth is still out there. Or as the Bible says, "The truth will set you free."

ATToong: I was present at the PJ dinner. Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua revealed that lucrative multi-billion defence contracts were/are still being awarded despite the on-going publicity over the Scorpene scandal.

The three defence contracts that Pua mentioned are:

1) RM6 billion for purchase of six patrol boats at RM1 billion each.

2) RM2.3 billion for purchase of 12 Eurocopter EC 725 at RM190 million each when at the same time Brazil purchased similar models at RM130 million each.

3) RM7.5 billion for purchase of 257 armoured personnel carriers (APCs) at RM30 million a vehicle.

L Joy: We need to thank Najib for confirming his guilt in the corruption case relating to the submarine purchase by his very action in keeping the Suaram lawyer from talking. What more proof do the Malay supporters of Umno need to convince them that Najib has to answer for what has transpired?

Ben Hor: No wonder Najib had to cut short his ‘vacation' with his family. Things are really getting down to the line here. Umno is clearly afraid of the truth, and they are abusing anything and everything they can get hold of to stop the truth from coming out.

Umno just doesn't see the big picture. They might have won the ‘battle' but they are definitely fighting a losing war.

Anonymous_40f4: Anwar Ibrahim has not lost his credibility in spite of numerous cooked-up cases against him. But Najib has definitely lost all credibility in the eyes of the rakyat and he is an unwanted baggage to Umno/BN.

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