Damaso (centre) is flanked by Kanul (second from right) and Jerry at their recent meeting at NAMFREL office in Mandaluyung City, Manila. The other two are senior officers of NAMFREL.
KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysian authorities have been urged to invite credible and reputable independent election monitoring groups, including international bodies, to observe the coming general election.
Chairman of Gindol Initiative for Civil Society Borneo, Kanul Gindol,
believes the Election Commission (EC) and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak would not isolate the election from the eyes of reputable election watchdogs.
“They would want our election to run smoothly in a fair and free manner as practised by a true democratic country,” said Kanul.
“During a recent visit to Manila, my friend and I from Sabah MAFREL, Jerry Ombou, had a discussion with the chairman of Asia Network for Free Election (ANFREL), Mr Damaso Magbual, on this matter. He told us that his group and he himself, who is also senior officer of the world-renowned NAMFREL or National Citizens Movement for Free Election, are ever ready to come and observe our election.
“In fact, Mr Magbual said he had written to the Malaysian EC to request accredition but no positive reply has been received. I think Malaysia should reconsider inviting bodies like ANFREL and NAMFREL who had vast experience in monitoring elections in dozens of countries, both in developed and the Third World,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Kanul added there is nothing to fear from these international monitoring teams. In fact their presence would raise the standing of Malaysia into a country that truly respects and upholds transparency and accountability when it comes to election and governance.