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REUTERS AND EPAPIX
Worldwide anger ...
The merciless Israeli air bombardment of Gaza has galvanised public anger across the world, from South Africa to South Korea. In Cape Town (right), South Africans
protest against the Israeli government’s actions. The protesters from various pro-Palestine groups called on the South African government to impose sanctions on
Israel. In Seoul (left), protesters take part in a pro-Palestinian rally in front of the Israeli embassy yesterday. A similar protest was held in Kuala Lumpur. See page 10.
by Tim Leonard
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
UTRAJAYA: On his
P second-last day as Election
Commission (EC) chairman,
Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul
Rahman fired a parting shot at his
critics, saying he plans to sue them
for defamation.
Long the punching bag of the
Opposition and election monitoring
groups which alleged irregularities
and unfair polls procedures, Abdul
Rashid, 66, is getting his legal team
prepared and will act once he
retires today.
Speaking after officiating at a
ground-breaking ceremony for
the EC’s new building in Precinct
2 yesterday, he said his post-
retirement plan was to pursue all
those who had “assassinated his
character” and defamed him. He
said he refrained from suing the
politicians when he was in office
because he did not want to involve
the EC in his personal problem.
“After retirement, I will be a free
person and will take legal action
against those who had said so many
untruthful and bad things about
me,” he said.
“They had assassinated my
character many times,” he said.
He has compiled a “list of
people” whom he wants to sue, and
they are all opposition politicians.
Whilst declining to reveal their
identities, he hinted that they could
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pg8
Rashid’s
parting shot
be Members of Parliament.
“If they are MPs, they
can lose their seat if I win
my suit against them.
“Their allegations
against me are ridiculous
because there is nothing
I can do as it is the people
who determine their fate
... not me, not the EC,” said
Abdul Rashid, adding that he had
been attacked by the Opposition
because Barisan Nasional won.
“They (BN MPs) don’t attack me
... that is why I am accused of being
in cohort with the ruling party to
ensure its victories (in general
elections)”.
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Abdul Rashid, who
had served the EC for 25
years, had in past months
made many “enemies”.
There was a public
outcry, demanding
his resignation for the
indelible ink issue
and two days before
the March 8 general
election, his house was splashed
with red paint. He came under
fire from opposition politicians for
announcing the EC’s 11th hour
decision to cancel the proposed use
of indelible ink on voters’ fingers
on polling day to prevent multiple
voting.
Award winning newspaper
for public service reporting
and opinion writing.
No. 4669 PP 2644/12/2008 (020369)
Wednesday
December 31, 2008
www.sun2surf.com
On his tenure as EC chairman,
Abdul Rashid said he was happy
to have served for 25 years. He
repeated his call for election laws
to be reviewed so that the EC has
more clout.
He said the EC should be given
the power to spell out the do’s and
the don’ts of an election, instead of it
being done by other authorities.
“With more power in the EC’s
hand, we can strengthen the
process for a free and fair election
... but this is not to say that our
elections are not free and fair.”
Home Ministry secretary-general
Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof, 58,
replaces Abdul Rashid.
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2009
welcome
parties pg26
PM promises
review of pay
scheme for
MACC staff
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said last
night the government will review
the salary scheme for officers and
staff of the Anti-Corruption Agency
(ACA) who will be absorbed into
the Malaysian Anti-Corruption
Commission (MACC), which will be
operational next month.
The prime minister said a
committee headed by Minister in
the Prime Minister’s Department
Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul
Aziz would discuss the claim (by
the ACA) immediately to find ways
of improving the salary scheme.
“Insya-Allah, the discussion
will enable us to fulfil the demand
made (by the ACA),” he said in his
speech at the ACA annual dinner
2008, here yesterday.
Abdullah conceded that mem-
bers of Parliament had raised the
matter when debating the MACC
Bill in the Dewan Rakyat and
Senate and it was their wish that
the remuneration paid to members
of the MACC would be increased.
Abdullah said the remuneration
paid should be adequate to ensure
that the MACC machinery could
discharge its responsibility without
worrying about issues concerning
salary and allowance.
Earlier in his speech, ACA direc-
tor-general Datuk Seri Panglima
Ahmad Said Hamdan appealed to
the prime minister to reconsider
the decision of the Public Service
Department (PSD) on the rate of
emoluments and incentives offered
to further inspire the ACA staff.
He said a better salary scheme
would be able to attract more
professionals to join the commis-
sion.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Said said
the ACA had detained 585 people
this year, including 271 government
employees with regard to corrupt
practices.
In addition, a total of RM44 mil-
lion in bribes had been registered
between January and November
this year, and assets worth RM9.5
had been impounded. – Bernama