By Singa Terhormat
___________________
The Daily Express, an East Malaysian newspaper, in an article dated 23rd September, 2011, reported that Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman, former Election Commission (EC) Chairman (and before that its Secretary since at least the early 1980s), denied the truth of a United States embassy cable posted on WikiLeaks (which) revealed that he had admitted to issuing more than 60,000 fake Malaysian identity cards in Sabah on Umno’s instructions.
This is how the Daily Express reports his reaction:
“That can’t be true. I had nothing to do at all with this and I was never involved in issuing Ics.”What the EC did was only to register citizens with ICs as voters,” he said, adding that IC matters were within the National Registration Department’s prerogative. The cable quoted former Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections (Mafrel) chief Malek Husin as claiming that Rashid had confessed this to him during a private meeting at the latter’s house on Oct 25, 2006. It also stated that Malek was said to have informed the US embassy officials that Rashid allegedly confirmed that this strategy was meant to wrest political control of Sabah which was held until 1994 by then opposition front Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS).
During that decade, claimed the cable, Umno had granted citizenship and Malaysian identity cards to over 600,000 foreign migrant workers (predominantly Muslims from Indonesia and Mindanao in the Philippines) in Sabah, in exchange for their votes in state Assembly Elections.”
The Daily Express added:
“Rashid however recalled being informed by the opposition parties in Sabah about an allegation of registering foreigners as voters.
“They then asked me to check the ICs of these people, which I refused as this was not within our authority but NRD’s.”
The Harakah Daily of 23rd January, 2013 speaking of this same Abdul Rashid reports:
“ Rashid admitted that there were major issues with regards to the electoral roll, but said cases of foreigners being registered as voters should be blamed on the National Registration Department.
“EC has no powers to intervene in such cases. This mess… it is NRD’s,” he said, admitting that foreigners were issued with Malaysian identity cards and had signed up as voters in Sabah.”
So Abdul Rashid says he was never involved in issuing ICs as IC matters were within the National Registration Department’s prerogative.
Of course the National Registration Department is the one that issues ICs.
Any fool knows that. Any fool knows that it is not the EC that issues ICs.
Could there have been complicity between both bodies, the EC and the NRD, to carry out these unholy acts though?
Mohd Nasir Sugip, a former Sabah National Registration Department (NRD) officer, alleges so.
Abdul Rashid, you now admit that there were major issues in the electoral rolls but maintain that the blame lies with NRD and not you or the EC and so you did nothing about it.
Was that responsible of you, Abdul Rashid?
On an issue that affects the sovereignty of this nation and the democratic rights of its peoples you did nothing about it?
And you were the Secretary and later Chairman of the EC!
Did your job scope as such not require you to ensure the integrity of the electoral rolls?
Was it not a duty you owed to the nation and all its peoples?
As a Kelantanese, Abdul Rashid, you surely have come across and understand the meaning of “Kami tok se oren make gaji buto”. (We do not want those who take their salary without earning it.)
On reflection now, do you feel you fully earned yours?
And Abdul Rashid, what do you now have to say about the evidence given at the ongoing Royal Commission of Inquiry on this matter where it is reported that Mohd Nasir Sugip, a former Sabah National Registration Department (NRD) officer, is reported to have said that “the operation involved providing the immigrants with new identity card numbers based on the date of birth, photographs and names provided by the EC” and that “the names were changed, IC numbers were changed, date of birth was changed… and their pictures,” ?
Now Abdul Rashid, pray tell us what was the EC doing providing the NRD with dates of birth, photographs and names to the NRD, as alleged?
How did it fall within the scope of functions of the EC to provide such information, if that is true?
For what purpose, pray tell?
As reported, Mohd Nasir Sugip also claimed that “his department had once taken instructions from the state Election Commission (EC) to provide unqualified immigrants with identity card numbers so that they could vote in the election.”
Please enlighten us on all these matters, Abdul Rashid.
Do not patronize us by now saying that the “present electoral system must be reformed” and that you “propose that voters are re-registered the way population census is done” as reported by Harakah Daily.
Harakah Daily also reports that you said “by carrying out a completely new registration process, the suspicions and allegations over the reliability of the voters list could be put to rest once and for all.”
Eureka!
All problems solved?
No, Abdul Rashid, things do not work that way.
The matter will not disappear just by now undertaking a new electoral rolls exercise.
It is understandable that you may wish that the problem can be dealt with and discarded in that manner.
What wrongs have been committed can be overlooked and forgotten?
A great injustice appears to have been done to this nation and its peoples during the time you were EC Secretary and later Chairman and you have to take the responsibility to answer all those allegations, which if true, amounts to high treason.
theghost
January 24, 2013
Expose all the EC employees during that period and their family members…. What post do they hold in Civil Service, what business do they do, what is the net worth of all these individuals.
Maybe a class action suit should be filed???? Get 100K Malaysian to file a case?
Boleh HI?
Sorry for the cold water on the idea, but I do not think a class action would get very far
theghost
January 24, 2013
it is nor about cold or hot ke ke ke it is an idea…. Ideas move Mountains… like Bersih, like Occupy… like you, like me ke ke ke peace my brother
Ellese
January 24, 2013
After 3 times caught lying/ mismeading, this has some sense. From Harris…. Oops singa write, it appears Rashid has to answer whether he has knowledge. I’ve yet to read the rci but singa better not do selective quoting.
I still think its premature to conclude. In any proceedings, one must allow all to be disclosed to be fair. Court and proceedings reporting in Malaysia has been appalling where people quote what they want to spin irregardless of truth. So for example if you make a favourable assertion in examination in chief, This is published widely by those holding the view. Then when this assertion is debunked in cross and re it was never reported. This is done by both MSM and pro pr media. This is rubbish.
Since I’ve not read and been following the whole proceeding I take singa write prima facie as correct notwithstanding his previous misquoting and misleading write.
Ellese
January 24, 2013
Srry I sent in a bit too quick.
My last line, “so Rashid has to answer. Rci has to call him. Lets hear how he response under oath and questioning”
Ps for those uninitiated, the wiki leaks has no value since its hearsay. We should not be conned like in the past when so many Malaysians foolishly relied on hearsay SD. When the maker denies, the SD falls. Don’t be conned.
Another Anak Bangsa Malaysia
January 24, 2013
Ellese, you troll,
You really need to get your thoughts into order.
You are rambling on and it is difficult to understand you.
Believe me, I did try to be fair to you and read what you have written quite carefully.
tigermania
January 24, 2013
Bro, someone who wants to remind you about “bulukons” wants to get in touch with you. Please email me you email me you mobile number which I have lost. Thanks bro.
Bro,
Send me an email at thepeoplesparliament@gmail.com
abdullah37
January 24, 2013
He has no moral grounds to continue serving as an EC chief. If he is worth his salt he should just pack and leave. But I doubt he would be honourable enough to take that step. Most likely he would try to stay put even if we figuratively hit him with old and dirty brooms, a hallmark of scUMNO’s products. Hopefully I wish to see him sharing the same cell with that Kerala con-man after GE13.
Bro,
Rashid has retired from the EC already
bigjoe99
January 24, 2013
Lets stop kidding ourselves with all these details. The EC along with state immigration and NRD, are ENEMIES OF THE STATE. They conducted a systematic bureaucratic civil war against Sabah and now, again stop kidding ourselves, doing it in Selangor. WE ARE UNDER ATTACK – not just clear and present danger. WE THE RAKYAT ARE AT WAR WITH OUR BUREAUCRATS..
S. Menon
January 24, 2013
Ironically, these are the very people who will protest and shout the loudest against the “pendatangs” and insist on “Ketuanan Melayu”. So, it comes back to the old argument of Orang Melayu = Islam and Orang Islam = Melayu, even if the people are from Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and/or the Philippines! So much for loyalty to their race and their country. To traitors such as this, only Mammon rules!
anak malaysia
January 24, 2013
Charge him for treason. He is the enemy of the state. Charge him, charge him, charge him.
bigjoe99
January 24, 2013
Haris, why hasn’t anyone like ABU start a campaign to get people to send SMS to Sabahan AND Sarawakians – they TRIED to burn THEIR BIBLE AND WANT MUSLIM FOREIGNERS TO TAKE AWAY THEIR STATES FROM THEM..
Timing, bro, timing
ablogsmith
January 24, 2013
Just why do you still want to refer to this sorry example of a man as Tan Sri? I remembered distinctly prior 2008 you together with a group in the KLSCAH tore photos of Abdul Rashid. I think you were too polite. Perhaps you should urinate on it instead.
I am not the author. I leave it to the author to address Rashid as he chooses. Personally, I would not waste my urine on Rashid
Sabah Arise!
January 24, 2013
People, worry not and argue no further ….just blame it on dap like everything else and let those chinaapek have a hard time. Hidup duit !
Taipan
January 24, 2013
And this is the scumbag who once said it was his job to make sure that Umno retains the power and if he were to be transparent 90% of them will lose their seats. Ambiga announced recently that Bersih 4 not ruled out.
abdullah37
January 24, 2013
I stand corrected for the mixed up. Thanks any way.
Malaysianatheart
January 24, 2013
How do all these people, the AG, EC Chairman, NRD DG etc sleep at nights? How?
Taipan
January 24, 2013
Bottoms up!
wandererAUS
January 25, 2013
Abdul Rashid, the previous EC chief and Mohd Nasir Sugip, a former Sabah National Registration Department (NRD) officer, how could these two bastards called themselves Muslims?…increditable!