The Malaysian Insider - EC officers have democratic right to join political parties, says chief
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 10 — Election Commission (EC) officers are within their democratic right to join political parties but they must not be partisan in carrying out their duties, says its chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof.
The EC chairman disclosed this when responding to accusations by PAS that a senior EC officer in Sabah was holding a key post in the Kinabatangan Umno Youth chapter. The EC’s impartiality has been continuously questioned by the opposition and activists over the past years.
That's so bullshit.
EC officers are certainly within their democratic right to vote for any political party but to argue they may be members of political parties is nonsense.
To further argue that there is no law or regulation preventing EC officers from becoming members of political parties is pettily, bureaucratically and disingenuously argumentative, because that would be ignoring the procedural maxim of 'fairness must not only be done but must be seen to be done'.
And just how the hell can fairness be seen to be done when senior officers in the EC are members of political parties. Thus if the law or regulation doesn't exist, then the EC should have in lieu a departmental policy to ensure no serving EC officer is a member of any political party.
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The EC is not unlike the Armed Forces in terms of their vast and ever-present potential to change the course of democratic process. Thus none of their officers should be allowed to become members of political parties while they are still serving in the EC or Armed Forces.
The Chairman of the EC has merely confirmed his organization is unashamedly tainted with the potential to be politically partial, and in the most defiant and arrogant manner.![]()
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 10 — Election Commission (EC) officers are within their democratic right to join political parties but they must not be partisan in carrying out their duties, says its chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof.
The EC chairman disclosed this when responding to accusations by PAS that a senior EC officer in Sabah was holding a key post in the Kinabatangan Umno Youth chapter. The EC’s impartiality has been continuously questioned by the opposition and activists over the past years.
That's so bullshit.
EC officers are certainly within their democratic right to vote for any political party but to argue they may be members of political parties is nonsense.
To further argue that there is no law or regulation preventing EC officers from becoming members of political parties is pettily, bureaucratically and disingenuously argumentative, because that would be ignoring the procedural maxim of 'fairness must not only be done but must be seen to be done'.
And just how the hell can fairness be seen to be done when senior officers in the EC are members of political parties. Thus if the law or regulation doesn't exist, then the EC should have in lieu a departmental policy to ensure no serving EC officer is a member of any political party.
The EC is not unlike the Armed Forces in terms of their vast and ever-present potential to change the course of democratic process. Thus none of their officers should be allowed to become members of political parties while they are still serving in the EC or Armed Forces.
The Chairman of the EC has merely confirmed his organization is unashamedly tainted with the potential to be politically partial, and in the most defiant and arrogant manner.
