YOURSAY ‘I want an effective wakil rakyat, not those who talk only.’

LDP: Ridhuan's 'BM rule' will disqualify most

6th Generation Immigrant: This must be the biggest joke in Malaysia. The Election Commission (EC) chooses not to listen to and act on the voices of hundreds of thousands from Bersih 1.0 and 2.0 but immediately acts on a recommendation from our official clown of Malaysia - Ridhuan Tee Abdullah.

How much lower can the EC drop itself?

Adam Ningau: Poor command of BM in Parliament and state assemblies made the August Houses look like ‘pasar malam’ (night markets), said Ridhuan Tee.

Well, Ridhuan Tee's point may be valid but as long as the points are communicated effectively in the House, be it ‘rojak’ or pure BM, who cares? I want an effective ‘wakil rakyat’, not those who talk only.

Ridhuan Tee may be fluent in BM but what is the point when his speeches are not only poor in content, provocative and lacking in intellectual content as a lecturer. In contrast, poor command of English made our leaders look like clowns internationally.

Joe Lee: If prospective election candidates need to possess at least a credit in SPM Bahasa Malaysia, then hate-mongers also need to pass a hate test.

Vijay47: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president Teo Chee Kang, you should not knee-jerk oppose this proposal by Ridhuan as it is not all that preposterous. Instead, you should come out with your ideas on how to make Parliament a place even more hallowed than it is.

Let me share some of my thoughts on other conditions that could be made mandatory. First, all candidates should possess an IQ above that of a child who is yet to reach teenage years. This would immediately disqualify 67.4 percent of all Umno candidates.

Second, English will be occasionally allowed but only if spoken with a clipped British accent - here, only Najib Abdul Razak and Khairy Jamaluddin would meet the standard. Definitely not S Samy Vellu, although Rais Yatim thinks he does.

Next, the cruncher, would be that to relate to the poor among the rakyat, candidates must have wealth not exceeding RM23 million. About 86.3 percent of Umno hopefuls will be knocked out.

So be careful what you wish for, Teo, Parliament may become a most boring place.

Roar For Truth: As I predicted this recommendation will not be accepted by BN politicians themselves for the sake of their privately and overseas-schooled children and grandchildren. MCA, when will you object to this?

Anonymous #20513663: So, is this a ruse to wipe out the entire East Malaysian leadership and take over? Who is the mastermind behind this? Why is the EC supporting them?

Firestone: Ridhuan Tee is the least qualified to speak about qualification - he himself has been accused to plagiarism by his faculty colleagues, and he hasn't clarified that yet.

Bringon14: Ridhuan Tee’s problem is worse than just being in constant fear that he may not be accepted by the Muslim community.

He also has to face the fact that the Chinese and Indian communities loathe the very sight of him. That then makes him want to appear to be even more fervent. But no matter what he does, he will always be a second-class Muslim, and a Chinese outcast.

Sleepy: Ridhuan Tee reminds me of this saying: "Don't judge a person by the colour of his skin, judge him by the content of his character."

EC mulls proposal for requisite 'credit' in BM

Vgeorgemy: EC chairperson Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof, your job is only to administer the election process which you and your team miserably failed even though you and your team may have credit in Bahasa Malaysia.

Looking at the EC’s poor performance in conducting elections in Malaysia, education qualifications are irrelevant in doing a good job.

Sleepy: There are many things wrong here, and for the EC to even consider the proposal shows their lack of independence. Politics is service to people not an academic pursuit or to gain wealth.

In a true democracy, voters decide suitability of a candidate not the EC. Mulling such proposal/criteria is a slippery slope - today BM, tomorrow religion/race.

Cantabrigian: Please do not spoil the federal constitution with such a petty issue. The federal constitution guarantees the rights of all Malaysians and not just some selected few.

Restricting my choice of candidate via such amendment is in itself unconstitutional. Ridhuan Tee should shut his mouth if he has nothing better to say.

Apapunboleh: While the EC is at it, why not propose a credit in Maths and minimum IQ for added measure. Many in BN allegedly cannot count and often say stupid things.

Fairnsquare: We already have so many allegedly brainless candidates, are we going to restrict more professionals and increase our quota of more idiots.

How about a minimum qualification of a university degree before making a BM credit compulsory?

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now .

These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.