The Election Commission (EC) feels it is a shame that opposition party leaders are shying away from signing Transparency International-Malaysia’s Election Integrity Pledge.

Its deputy chairperson Wan Ahmad Wan Omar feels it is incumbent on candidates contesting in the general election to sign the pledge as the people desired representatives not merely to profess to have integrity but to practise it as well.

“We comment on the issue because we are the ones that will be processing the candidates’ nomination and also, based on the possibility that they could be chosen to be the people’s representatives,” Wan Ahmad told reporters after a briefing for Perak election officers in Segari, Lumut, yesterday.

NONE He believed the people would feel more assured in their choice if the candidates had no qualms about signing the pledge, as what Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had done.

Wan Ahmad said the election integrity pledge was initiated by Transparency International (TI) Malaysia, an international non-governmental organisation that strove for integrity and not by a political party.

On Wednesday, Najib signed the pledge and made a public declaration to support integrity and be fully committed in curbing corruption in the country and during the 13th general election.

'Mother of all elections'

The prime minister also gave his commitment that as soon as the names of the BN candidates were announced at the nomination, he would ensure that all of them signed the pledge.

Wan Ahmad also said that the EC was prepared for any hiccups during GE13 because it has been described as the “mother of all elections”, besides  many “pilot projects” being introduced this time around, such as the use of indelible ink.

“Anything can happen on the use of the indelible ink. We do not how it will go down with stakeholders and the political parties contesting,” he said, adding that the polling process could be affected if voters did not follow the proper procedures on its use or other election regulations.

He said the ballot slip would not be issued to voters who refused to show their fingers for inspection and marking of the indelible ink as this would be compulsory in the coming election.

“There is no two ways about it, either allow your finger to be marked or forgo your right to vote,” he said, adding that voters who did not follow procedures or broke election regulations would face the full brunt of the law.

On Perak, Wan Ahmad said based on the latest electoral roll that was gazetted last Friday, the state had  1,397,279 registered voters who would vote at 778 polling centres, including for early voting.

- Bernama