The EC deputy chairman was often booed for his evasive replies.
When moderator, Wan Saiful Wan Jan, from think-tank Ideas, queried Wan Ahmad whether he was suggesting that the problem lies with the government and not the EC, the latter was again evasive in his reply.
SHAH ALAM: Feisty Bersih 2.0 chairman S Ambiga emerged a clean, clear winner at a public dialogue with Election Commission deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar here today.
Although the face-off did not produce sparks, the “Iron Lady” scored points against Wan Ahmad who was most of the time booed by the audience for his evasive replies.
His standard tactic, which did not go down well with the audience, was always to put the blame on other parties.
Several times he tried to reason with the hostile participants on the floor who were evidently upset and angry at his unintelligent answers.
Several times he tried to reason with the hostile participants on the floor who were evidently upset and angry at his unintelligent answers.
The forum entitled “July 9: What’s Next?” was organised by Kumpulan Karangkraf, a media organisation that publishes the Malay language daily Sinar Harian and other magazines.
An emotional Wan Ahmad also tried to calm down the audience and pleaded to them to give him a fair hearing, but to no avail.
Some openly showed him the thumbs-down in response to his explanation.
At one stage when he was questioned on phantom voters, he brushed it off with a brusque remark: “You are asking questions meant for the clerks. I handle policy matters”.
When someone asked him about the partisan stand of the EC, he was all worked up in his defence of the Barisan Nasional government.
“BN leaders criticise us in meetings but they discuss things with a sound mind unlike Pakatan Rakyat which uses the media to hit out at us,” he said to jeers.
Wan Ahmad also said the EC is a “management body” which is not empowered to tackle abuses raised by various observers on the electoral system.
He said it is the Attorney-General’s Chambers which should look into the matter, adding that “when it comes to fundamental policy (such as amending the election laws), people should approach the right person”.
‘EC not an enemy’
When moderator, Wan Saiful Wan Jan, from think-tank Ideas, queried Wan Ahmad whether he was suggesting that the problem lies with the government and not the EC, the latter was again evasive in his reply.He said it was the elected government that has a stronger say in amending election laws and added:
“Don’t treat the EC as an enemy.” The floor booed him again.
On the other hand, Ambiga was much more poised, confident and relaxed when taking on questions from the audience.
She told Wan Ahmad that it was the EC that had been hostile towards Bersih 2.0.
“It is you that is treating us as an enemy… You behave like the government,” she said to a round of applause.
She also criticised the EC for not taking action in changing the electoral laws.
When the crowd grew boisterous, Wan Ahmad hit out at them for being irrational, and ignorant about election laws.
But the audience shot back: “(EC) no power”.
However, the gracious Ambiga, at one stage, came to the defence of Wan Ahmad for facing the critics.
“You are a brave man… The EC should be present here to back you but you are the only one here,” she said. The audience promptly gabve a round of applause to Wan Ahmad.
Ambiga also came under scrutiny with one participant asking about her meeting with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
“Yes the King requested us not to take to the streets but we had to do it as a last option,” she said.
Then an angry participant, a lawyer, took a swipe at Ambiga for holding an illegal rally on July 9.
“Lawyer to lawyer, the right to assemble is enshrined in the law,” the unflappable Bersih leader coolly replied.
Before the forum started, a small group of policemen were guarding the entrance and banners with the warning “T-shirts with Bersih and Patriot logos are prohibited” were strung up.
Taken from Free Malaysia Today
Taken from Free Malaysia Today
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