While welcoming the Election Commission's reminder not to employ thugs during the Ketari by-election campaign, DAP today urged the poll watchdog to also check Barisan Nasional's electoral abuses, specifically the broadcasting of BN propaganda on television and radio.

"The EC's reminder to political parties involved not to engage thugs as election workers to avoid untoward incidents is most welcome," said DAP national chairperson Lim Kit Siang.

"The EC is vested with the sacred mandate under the Constitution to conduct free, fair and clean elections as this is the basis for the parliamentary democracy in Malaysia," he added in a statement.

On Thursday, citing the November 2000 Lunas by-election in Kedah as an example, EC secretary Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said the tendency for political parties to recruit thugs had affected the smooth running of previous by-elections.

In January, during the Indera Kayangan by-election, opposition parties alleged that their supporters had been harassed and injured by BN election workers.

However, Lim said the EC should not confine itself to the recruitment of thugs in election campaigns.

"It should exercise an overall responsibility against all improper electoral practices such as BN's abuse and misuse of money, mass media, government machinery and public resources."

Criticise openly

The veteran politician also questioned the EC's silence on BN's manipulation of the May 13 racial clashes for the past three decades and of late the Sept 11 attacks on the United States in election campaigns.

He said though the EC is not empowered to stop radio and television from airing programmes which may harm the conduct of a fair election, the body should nonetheless criticise such abuses openly.

"It should speak out publicly against radio and television serving as BN electoral instruments in manipulating, distorting and smearing the opposition on the airwaves night after night during an election campaign," stressed Lim.

The Ketari state by-election has been scheduled for March 31, with March 23 fixed for nomination.

BN' Yum Ah Ha, a practising lawyer, will take on DAP's Choong Siew Onn, a quality control executive in a straight-fight.

The state seat fell vacant following the death of Gerakan representative Loke Koon Kam early this month.

Ketari has 17,143 registered voters, of which 95 are postal votes. Chinese Malaysians comprise 53.8 percent of the electorates, Malay Malaysians 39.1 percent, Indian Malaysians 5.2 percent, and the rest are bumiputras from East Malaysia and natives.