PKR has written a letter of complaint to Election Commission (EC) chairperson Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman in connection with several alleged irregularities related to the Aug 26 Permatang Pauh by-election.

salehuddin hashim interview 110408 neutral The letter, signed by PKR secretary-general Salehuddin Hashim, was submitted to Abdul Rashid’s personal assistant Jamaliah Mohammed this afternoon.

"It is disheartening that when the entire nation and the international community is very interested in the development of the by-election, the campaign is marred by numerous wrongdoings which reveal the weakness of the Malaysian democratic system and the failure of the EC to conduct (the polls) in a fair and transparent manner," he said.

"I question the credibility of the EC because what has cropped up is not a new, in fact it is the same issues that come up every time there is an election despite the various complaints, criticisms and suggestions forwarded to the EC," he added.

In view of this, Salehuddin expressed hope that the EC will act on the complaints raised this time around.

Below are the complaints raised by PKR:

1) Names of voters missing

'It has been reported that the names of 900 voters are missing from the electoral roll for the Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency. The names were in the last electoral role and the voters were eligible to cast their ballots in the 12 th general election.'

2) Choosing a weekday for polling

'It has been reported that the choice of Aug 26, a working day, is highly questionable because it makes it difficult for voters to cast their ballots, especially those who are working and those living outside the constituency.'

3) The use of government agencies for Umno/BN campaign

'Government agencies are being blatantly used to campaign for Umno/BN. This is an offence and goes against election ethics.'

4) Lopsided media reports

'Media reports on the by-election campaign are generally in favour of the Umno/BN campaign and take a confrontational approach towards the PKR candidate.'

5) The use of security forces

'This time around, there is an excessive deployment of security forces. The large number of police personnel and the use of helicopters are aimed at disrupting the campaign and instilling a sense of fear in the voters. Meanwhile, the media ties PKR with violence and this is absolutely baseless.'

6) Voters identity cards

'There are reports that Umno/BN campaign workers have met with voters and taken their identity cards or made photocopies of them. This is an offence and the move raises suspicion.'

7) Vote buying

'It is reported that money is being used in the Umno/BN campaign to garner votes. Their campaign workers offer money in return for votes for the Umno/BN candidate. Apart from transgressing election ethics, this is also a form of bribery.'