COMMENT Former US vice-president Al Gore said recently that "American democracy has been hijacked". He said his country needs to wake up to the special interests that have a grip on the levers of power.

The same could well be said about Malaysia, following the 13th general election.

There can be little doubt that there was widespread electoral fraud during the elections. The Election Commission's much touted indelible ink, for example, turned out to be a joke. The only indelible stain, as far as most Malaysians are concerned, is on the reputation and credibility of the EC itself...