I refer to the Malaysiakini report Najib: Decision soon on Penanti .

The prospect of a BN-free by-election should be exciting! Just imagine the changes we could see -

  • No `instant noodles' projects to the advantage of one side though this must be disappointing to the residents who are used to such inducements; no new tarring of roads; no new lamp posts etc etc;

But in its place, the debate between/among the candidates can focus more on long-term policies and options to help the people all the time;

  • No abuse of official vehicles, government buildings, civil servants' time (teachers won't have to attend BN ceramah) for party campaigning; no outriders scaring the hell out of road users.

In its place, the candidates have to stay within their legal limits and run honest campaigns to convince the voters. How about a series of open debates to produce low-cost but high-yield candidate-voter communication?

Candidates' debates in Uthe S elections and elsewhere always command a high viewer-ship! Surely a lot of coffee shops, restaurants, pubs etc would like to host similar things here. More two-way candidate-voter communication is always better than one-way ceramah!

  • No one-sided mainstream media propaganda to (mis)lead the audience/public. The candidates probably have to produce better leaflets, pre-taped messages, videos etc to push their messages.

A contest of creativity in communication! At least, this conveys more messages than the wasteful and visually-polluting posters and banners which only convey one message that being the candidates' wealth in their pocket - not the wealth in their brain.

  • No more phantom voters for real voters will be the only ones to vote on the constituency's future representative.

  • No more extravagance in campaign spending as everyone can now become a candidate. The right to vote including the right to be voted, is realised for once.

Except for the high deposits to Election Commission and to the local council, and some costs for moderate campaign materials, the candidates don't have to bother too much about campaign expenses.

  • No more super-sized police presence and their big policing bills. There will only be one police keeping an eye on security at every polling booth - not a mob of them at every street corner.

For once people can breath easier and come out to vote.

  • A stop to such brainless propaganda as `Only XX party can bring development' or `Only XX party can do this...that etc etc.

Good for a change; make it stick.

  • Election Commission would not be under pressure to act for only one side; for once the EC can be neutral and impartial. I'm sure th EC will enjoy this newly-found respectability.

Let's look forward and get addicted to more suc BN-free campaign environments. It is almost like Malaysia has acheved democracy.

Lets get used to it and demand for it in all future elections. The demand should be made to all parties including the Pakatan Rakyat parties as well!

And I would also like refer to the Malaysiakini report EC to tighten grip on election campaigning .

Let no one misunderstand. To stop campaigning on polling day and during the moratorium of campaigning means the following:

1. No street campaigning ie, no vehicles and party members going around with party symbols and colours.

No free food and drinks for anyone - even party members/supporters. After all, they are not supposed to `work' on the campaigns anymore.

2. No campaigning through the TV, radio and newspapers. There should not be any news reporting on the campaigns n the form of commentaries, predictions etc on the election and the candidates.

Given that only the ruling parties are represented by TV, radio and the newspapers, the

incumbent candidates/parties must be conscientious not to abuse their access to these publicly- funded media or party-owned media.

Failing to keep to this point means that only one side is stopped from campaigning - which is not fair.

Campaigning by these mainstream media during elections is a shame but the Elections Commission has not highlighted this type of campaigning in its recent remarks of `unhealthy' polling-day campaigning.

3. The stopping of campaigning on polling day/during moratorium should not mean there is not enough time for all the candidates/parties to campaign.

Given the current highly inadequate campaigning period (9-10 days), an extension should be extended by bi-partisan negotiation.

The campaigning period should revert to the two to three weeks period as before Dr Mahathir Mohamad's time.

If the campaigning period is still restricted, it would mean that the non-incumbent parties/ candidates wouldn't be able to find enough time to project their platforms/candidates to the voters.

This in itself is an injustice and a violation of the rule of free and fair elections

This point may be behind Pakatan Rakyat' concern over the campaign moratorium and should be addressed to achieve a bi-partisan consensus.

This will produce two desirable effects - respect for voters' right to vote in a totally unpressured environment and two, slash police personnel fees paid from public coffers.