PRU 15? : Segera Persiap Prosedur Baharu Dan Muhasabah Orang Politik

Antara intipati kenyataan dari Presiden UMNO setelah Mesyuarat Majlis Kerja Tertinggi semalam adalah berkenaan kebarangkalian kita menghadapi PRU15 setelah penularan Covid-19 berada di tahap minimum.

Buat masa sekarang dan baki 2020 ini, UMNO sedar rakyat tidak mahu PRU tergesa-gesa, SPB YDPA telah menggambarkan dalam titah Baginda bahawa ketegangan politik perlu dikendurkan dalam pada negara menghadapi gelombang ketiga Covid.

Tetapi setelah ancaman Covid diredakan, dan andaikata situasi politik masih tidak stabil dengan majoriti yang terlalu tipis, maka mengembalikan mandat kepada rakyat wajar menjadi pilihan yang dipertimbang.

Cuma, kita tidak boleh hanya memberi gesaan tersebut tanpa memikirkan kaedah bagaimana boleh menjalankan pilihanraya dengan selamat, mengambil iktibar dari pengalaman kita di Sabah tempoh hari.

Antara perkara yang wajar diperhalusi oleh SPR dan pihak Kerajaan:

1. SOP yang jelas, ketat dan memberi keyakinan kepada rakyat dan petugas parti.

SOP perlu jelas dan tidak berubah-ubah dalam tempoh kempen. Contohnya, tentukan sahaja bahawa tiada ceramah dan rapat umum dibenarkan.

Elakkan tafsiran masing-masing berkenaan jumlah orang dibenarkan hadir yang mungkin berbeza dan akhirnya mengundang masalah. Acap kali kita melihat mungkin kawasan ceramah itu ada penjarakan (itupun tak semua) tetapi yang berhimpun di luar dewan atau khemah pula terlalu ramai dan sukar dikawal.

Contoh lain, jika ziarah rumah tidak dibenarkan, sebut sahaja tidak dibenarkan – lantas mengelak terus syarat 3 orang, 4 orang dan sebagainya yang memang sukar dipantau. Mana mungkin pemantau mengikuti lawatan ke setiap rumah di setiap kawasan.

Apapun prosedur yang diputuskan, penguatkuasaan SOP ini juga mesti adil, saksama tanpa kira darjat atau parti. Pegawai penguatkuasa juga mesti dipastikan memadai.

2. Perluas undi pos

Hak mengundi melalui undi pos wajar diperluas kepada seberapa ramai orang yang mampu, terutamanya pengundi luar kawasan dan pengundi berumur seperti warga emas yang menghadapi risiko lebih tinggi dari sebarang jangkitan Covid.

Tiada sebab mengapa perkara ini tidak boleh dilaksanakan jika ada kemahuan politik. Di Amerika Syarikat sendiri sudah lebih 80 juta pengundi yang telahpun mengundi dalam pemilihan Presiden mereka, dan ramai di kalangan itu adalah undi pos. Mengapa tidak Malaysia?

Jika ada peraturan atau undang-undang yang perlu dipinda sejajar normal baharu, pinda-lah. Jika perlu lebih banyak sumber dan bantuan mengurus undi pos, persiapkan-lah. Jika bajet yang akan diperlukan SPR atau pihak polis jauh lebih tinggi, bentangkan dalam Belanjawan 2021.

3. Tambah saluran dan tempoh mengundi

Barangkali masih ada yang mahu mengundi secara manual. Ini hak pengundi tetapi perubahan prosedur wajar dilaksanakan bagi mengelak kesesakan di tempat mengundi.

Sama ada menambah peti undi, saluran, atau jumlah hari mengundi (yakni undi awal dibenarkan sehingga hari akhir) – segalanya perlu dipertimbang agar keselamatan pengundi dan pegawai petugas pilihanraya terjaga.

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TANGGUNGJAWAB AHLI POLITIK

Tanggungjawab melaksanakan sebarang pilihanraya dengan selamat bukan hanya terletak atas bahu SPR atau Kerajaan. Pengamal politik juga ada peranan. Ada yang masih berkeras bahawa ahli politik tidak bersalah atas gelombang Covid-19 ekoran PRN Sabah.

Tetapi sebagai seorang yang telah pun dijangkiti Covid dan menginsafi pengalaman kempen yang saya sendiri terbabit, bagi saya tak perlu nafikan bahawa wujud kekurangan dari pihak parti-parti politik termasuk UMNO sendiri yang menyumbang kepada apa yang berlaku sekarang.

Ya, mungkin ada faktor lain membawa kepada gelombang ketiga, tetapi pengamal politik wajar mengakui dan menginsafi bahawa kami juga ada tanggungjawab atas apa yang telah berlaku. Sebelum menyalahkan orang lain, eloklah melihat diri kita sendiri terlebih dahulu.

Maka, disamping pengamal politik bercakap tentang kemungkinan PRU, kami juga wajar muhasabah untuk belajar dari kesilapan baru-baru ini. Jika SOP telah ditetapkan nanti, pakat-pakat ikutlah. Kami wajar mengelak nafsu melihat sesuatu melalui lensa yang menguntungkan politik semata-mata melebihi kebertangunggjawaban sosial sesuai dengan aspirasi menjadi pemimpin.

Sama ada PRU ini awal atau tidak, bergantung kepada situasi dan akhirnya ketentuan Allah swt. Sekali lagi, ini bukan perkara utama sekarang – yang penting, Covid, ekonomi dan Belanjawan. Tetapi tiada ruginya Malaysia membuat persediaan awal supaya kita ada ruang pilihan yang luas jika perlu digunakan.

SHAHRIL HAMDAN
KETUA PENERANGAN UMNO MALAYSIA

GE15?: A new procedure is paramount

AMONG the essence of the President’s statement after the Supreme Council meeting yesterday is regarding the probability that we will face GE15 after the transmission of Covid-19 is at a minimum.
For now and the rest of 2020, Umno is aware that the people do not want the GE to be rushed. The King himself has issued a statement saying that political tensions need to be relaxed as the country is facing the third wave of Covid. But once the Covid threat is eased and if the political situation remains unstable with a very thin majority, returning the mandate back to the people should be a matter of consideration.
However, we cannot just make the call without thinking of ways to conduct elections safely, taking lessons from our experience in Sabah recently. Among things that should be refined by the Election Commission and the Government are:
1. A clear SOP, strict provisions that give confidence to the people and party staff.
The SOP should be clear and unchanged during the campaign period. For example, just make sure that no talks and public meetings are allowed.
Avoid giving adverse interpretations on the number of people allowed to attend such meets, which may ultimately invite problems gradually. We have observed how such events were conducted in areas close to prisons while the crowd was difficult to control.
Whatever procedure is decided, the enforcement of this SOP must also be fair regardless of rank and party. Enforcement officers must also be adequate.
2. Expand postal votes
The right to postal vote should be extended to as many people as possible, especially out-of-area voters and the elderly who are at high risk of Covid infection.
There is no reason why this matter cannot be implemented if there is a political will. In the United States alone, there are already over 80 million voters who have already voted in their presidential election, and many of them are postal votes. Why not Malaysia?
If there are rules or laws that need to be amended in line with the new normal, amend them. If you need more resources and help managing postal votes, get ready. If the budget that the EC or the police will need is much higher, present it in the 2021 Budget.
3. Add channels and voting period
Perhaps there are still those who want to vote manually. This is the right of voters but changes in procedures should be implemented to avoid congestion at the polling station.
Whether adding ballot boxes, channels or the number of voting days (i.e. early voting is allowed until the last day) – everything must be considered so that the safety of voters and election officials is maintained.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF POLITICIANS
The responsibility to conduct any election safely does not rest on the shoulders of the EC or the Government. Political practitioners also have a role to play. Some still insist that politicians are innocent of the Covid-19 wave following the Sabah PRN.
But as someone who has already infected, I see that there is no need to deny the shortcomings from the political parties including Umno itself that contributed to what is happening now. Yes, there may be other factors leading up to the third wave but political practitioners should acknowledge and realize that we also have a responsibility for what has happened. Before blaming others, it is good to look at ourselves first.
So, in addition to politicians talking about the possibility of GE, we should learn from recent mistakes. If the SOP has been set later, the pacts follow. We should avoid the lust to see something through a lens that benefits politics solely beyond social responsibility in line with the aspiration to be a leader.
Whether this GE is early or not, depends on the situation and ultimately the provisions of Allah swt. Again, this is not the main thing now – what matters is Covid, the economy and the Budget. But there is no loss for Malaysia to make initial preparations so that we have a wide range of options, if necessary.
Derma Tabung Perjuangan