PAS Youth today questioned whether the series of articles by Sinar Harian rebutting the wing’s claims of 'clone voters' indicates the Malay-language daily had been pressured into working against investigations into irregularities in the electoral system.

NONE In a statement, its democratic reform and mobilisation committee chief Suhaizan Kaiat ( left ) asked if that pressure included working against the wing in exposing the manipulations that had occurred over voter data.

"If such pressure had indeed been affected, I fear Sinar Harian may face the same fate as Utusan Malaysia or other newspapers that have died before this," said the Johor PAS Youth chief.

"I feel it strange why Sinar Harian has also not published the story about the four former army personnel who have admitted to having marked thousands of ballots for their colleagues while on duty," said Suhaizan.

According to Suhaizan, such a concern arose after the daily ran a series of articles last Friday on persons that he had earlier claimed had 'clones' with the potential for multiple-voting but which Sinar Harian confirmed were genuine voters with coincidentally the same names.

The six persons - all of whom are Umno members - were also alleged to have double-membership in the party , raising questions as to whether the integrity of Umno’s electoral process had been compromised.

At least two of the persons considering legal action against the opposition party wing.

NONE Lobbing a return volley against the daily for its rebuttal of its claims, Suhaizan said it would seem strange if the newspaper were implying there were no irregularities in the electoral roll.

“If Sinar Harian can name the three names (of alleged multiple voters) on Friday, then fairness and propriety demands that Sinar Harian also name the other five names that I've exposed (on Aug 19).

In the same statement, he also ticked off Election Commission (EC) chief Abdul Aziz Yusof for complaining about his tendency to go to the media with his exposes instead of forwarding such information to the commission itself.

NONE Abdul Aziz ( left ) had on Friday said the opposition and Internet media had a tendency to exaggerate " minor errors ".

"Hopefully those who are interested to clean the electoral roll with us - PAS, and another one who always calls us is Malaysiakini , I don't know you (its reporters) are here or not - if you have the figures, send them to us and we will confirm the figures. Why not we clean up (the roll) together?

"But (instead) they report in the media, one of two cases, (and make a fuss over that) and they blow it up, making it seem like three quarters of the roll is dirty; but the actual number is very small," claimed Abdul Aziz.

Suhaizan, however, said PAS had many times submitted whatever information it had on the electoral system, only to either be rebuffed by the EC or falsely assured that the shortcomings would be redressed.

"I am not interested (any more) in reporting my concerns on electoral manipulations to the EC.

"This is because PAS has many times met with EC over the problems, up to PAS' mobilised (its members) for Bersih 1 in 2007," said Suhaizan in reference to the rally for clean and fair elections.

"Unfortunately, the electoral roll has not been cleansed. It's only when PAS Youth makes the call through the media that EC acts.

"For that reason, I believe more in (the efficacy of) pressure from the people than submitting report after report to the EC," said Suhaizan.

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