There will be no cheating in GE14, says Najib

Bede Hong Bede Hong Updated 6 years ago · Published on 30 Jan 2018 6:57PM · 12 Comments

Umno president Najib Razak speaking during a press conference after the party's Supreme Council meeting at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur today. He says the election system in place now is the same one that got Pakatan Harapan chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad elected as prime minister decades ago. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 30, 2018.

CHEATING will not occur in the 14th general election due to the Election Commission’s strict protocols, said Prime Minister Najib Razak.

He said any allegations to the contrary were just attempts by the opposition to cast doubt on the polls results.

“The chances of cheating are non-existent,” Najib, who is also Umno president, told reporters after chairing an Umno Supreme Council meeting at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur today.

“How can they say the EC is unfair? The system in place is the same one that has been practised from then till today, and in fact, it is better now.”

The Barisan Nasional chairman was prompted to respond, following a meeting between Pakatan Harapan chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad and  European Union ambassadors, during which complaints of gerrymandering by the EC were raised.

PH deputy president Mohamad Sabu said the meeting was focused on pressuring Najib’s administration, to ensure that GE14 was conducted fairly.

“They (PH) had to complain to foreign powers so that the end result can be questioned. They just want to raise controversy,” said Najib.

“They alleged that our system is unfair, when in fact, this system got Dr Mahathir elected. It is this system that brought us prosperity.”

Fourteen ambassadors and three charges d’affaires of EU countries were present to meet PH representatives, who were led by Dr Mahathir.

The meeting took place at the residence of Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the EU to Malaysia Maria Castillo Fernández last week.

Najib said there was nothing extraordinary about the meeting, but called it “strange”, as the same electoral system had been in place during Dr Mahathir’s 22 years as prime minister.

“Our system is now more transparent that it ever has been. We have polling agents, we have counting agents. We have the indelible ink system.

“The question is, why, in the 22 years that Dr Mahathir was in power, didn’t they reform the so-called ‘unfair’ electoral system?

“They want to condition the people into thinking that the system is unfair, when in fact, it is the same system that got Dr Mahathir elected. This is the same system that brought stability and prosperity to the country.”

Najib said Umno and BN were “happy” with their performance, “especially in comparison with the opposition, who are in disarray”.

“Their situation does not instil confidence in the people of their ability to guarantee political stability in the country. It’s clear that they are out of their depth when it comes to transforming the country.”

In the 2013 general election, Umno won 88 parliamentary seats out of the 133 won by BN.

GE14 must be held by August, after the automatic dissolution of Parliament on June 24.

According to the latest political analysis by the Financial Times Confidential Research, an independent research service by the Financial Times newspaper, BN is set to win due to three reasons, chief among them being the redrawing of electoral boundaries, which is expected to favour the ruling government.

The two other reasons are: PAS will split the opposition’s votes, and PH’s weak presence in Sabah and Sarawak, where about a quarter of parliamentary seats are located. – January 30, 2018.

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Comments

  • Stop playing with wods. It is like you are saying all rivers are flowing to the directions of up stream. Impossible to believe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Posted 6 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

  • Finish liau bangla is on the way

    Posted 6 years ago by Leslie Chan · Reply

  • Cheating already started, it's called the new electoral roll and Redelineation. Najib asked why Mahathir did not do reform in his time, because he is Mahathir, founder of everything Najib and UMNO have, and Najib and his UMNO is NOT, not even a fraction.

    Posted 6 years ago by Bigjoe Lam · Reply

  • Cheating or otherwise is not for Najib or even Opposition to declare. We need independent, credible elections watch moderators to investigate and report. Will Najib see to it?

    Posted 6 years ago by JD Lovrenciear · Reply

  • The fact that the PM should say something about this topic makes it even more worrisome. It means their machinery will be in place whether gerrymandering, allocation of postal votes or their government servant votes, or other means. We Malaysians should be so worried. Already fighting on this front, now we have to consider UndiRosak. Can you imagine there is actually a 5% or 10% or even 15% Malay swing depending on certain constituencies, which is neutralised by UndiRosak. We will lose the opportunity to change a government, to change our electoral system so that frustrated UndiRosak folks feel that their votes finally mean something in GE15, and we will all suffer the consequence of perpetual servitude to this PM as long as he is alive because I doubt he will be leaving office before that, which is possibly for a very long time.

    Posted 6 years ago by Quigon Bond · Reply

  • If Malaysian election is fraud-free and fair as claimed by Najib, then why is its electoral integrity ranked 142nd out of 158 countries assessed, and its electoral boundary ranked at the very bottom, in a research project called “Global Perceptions of Electoral Integrity”?
    The project paper states: “Malaysia’s electoral process is highly manipulated across all the key areas, and every aspect of electoral competition is biased in favour of BN through institutions and procedures that fall short of neutrality”.
    The paper further states that Umno, through its six-decade rule, has “penetrated nearly all of the state’s appendages, rendering the line between Umno and the state essentially indistinguishable in many areas.”
    Notable among the biased institutions are the ROS and EC, the latter’s outstanding manipulations being the notorious malapportionment and gerrymandering that enabled BN to have won 60% of parliamentary seats despite losing the popular votes by a margin of 4% in GE 13.
    Suffice to say that the Malaysian election is a total farce, and an unmitigated mockery of democracy.

    Posted 6 years ago by Kim quek · Reply

  • Actually, this is mind boggling. Everyone knows he is liar because of 1MDB. Yet he makes MORE ridiculous lies so publicly. It's so Trump, he think his base does not care no matter what ridiculous thing he does. Is it true? Is the UMzNIvoter just the same or worst than Trump voters?

    Posted 6 years ago by Bigjoe Lam · Reply

  • C’mon Najib, my toes are laughing. After your Arabian Nights story with respect to the $2.6 billion from 1MDB scam ending up in your own pockets, please refrain from making us laugh till we roll on the floor.

    Posted 6 years ago by Rupert Lum · Reply

    • He is ready to take on Harith Iskandar at when he loses in GE14. He is a natural at cracking jokes.

      Posted 6 years ago by Brandy henderson · Reply

  • Cheating is actually just the glazing on a cake that is made up of gerrymandering, redelineation, generous handouts and other tactics designed to ensure aBN victory. Of course you can do without the icing when the cake will suffice.

    Posted 6 years ago by Yog Sothoth · Reply

  • "There will be cheating in elections..." are you sure?? Swear to your GOD, dare you? ...there're only cheating in taxpayers money ...

    Posted 6 years ago by Orenji Lingo · Reply

  • Take it with a pinch of salt
    We know when one cry wolf too often

    Posted 6 years ago by Harytan456 Tan · Reply