What is the use of having elections in Malaysia when opposition parties cannot get registered? asked Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) pro-tem secretary-general S Arutchelvan.

He called on the Election Commission (EC) to focus on fundamental - and not trivial - issues such as the right to stand in elections, misuse of government machinery as well as the need for free and fair polls.

"What is the use of doing away with posters, when one has no right to form a political party and stand in the elections?" he asked.

Arutchelvan ( right ) was responding to EC chairperson Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman's recent revelation that parties had spent huge amounts on campaign posters alone.

Abdul Rashid said the commission proposed to the government several cost-saving measures to be implemented in the next general elections in 2008.

'Political decision'

Elaborating, Arutchelvan said PSM has been denied the right to be registered since 1998. The matter is pending in court.

"The right to form a political party is a fundamental right under the constitution but the ruling party under the Home Ministry is the sole authority which can decide on which political party could be allowed registration," he added.

He said Malaysians have seen pro-Barisan Nasional parties getting their registration within days but opposition parties have to wait for years and remain in limbo.

"PSM has numerous times called on the EC to be the authority involved in registering political parties. Forming political parties is an administrative issue but in Malaysia, like many other matters, it has become a political decision," he added.

Last week, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng had questioned whether BN had breached the law by spending tens of millions on the posters.

Lack of confidence

In another development, Lim said the removal of 10 Malaysian firms from the FTSE Global Equity Index indicates the lack of confidence of foreign investors in the BN government's handling of the economy.

He said the government had allegedly failed to promote transparency, accountability and professional management of government-linked corporations.

"Instead of promoting transparency, we promote corruption. Instead of merit, we have quotas. Instead of technical know-how, we have political know-who...," he added.

FTSE said the stocks of 10 firms dropped and this included Malaysia Airlines (MAS), Nestle (M) Bhd, infrastructure firm MMC Corp Bhd, plantation companies Golden Hope Plantations Bhd and Highlands & Lowlands Bhd, Oriental Holdings Bhd, DRB-Hicom Bhd, port operator NCB Holdings Bhd, Hong Leong Industries Bhd and UEM World Bhd.