PKR MP Rafizi Ramli has accused the top Election Commission (EC) duo of issuing dares as a means to avoid having to answer questions raised on the use of indelible ink in the May 5 general election.

NONEThe fact that the EC head and his deputy were willing to issue challenges instead of trying to clear the EC’s name by addressing the questions raised “reflects that there are non-transparent elements that (they) wish to hide”.

He was referring to the challenge commission chairperson Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof and his deputy Wan Ahmad Wan Omar issued to Rafizi yesterday to repeat outside Parliament his allegation linking them to the supplier of the indelible ink if he was “man enough”, so that they could take legal action against him.

“However, the two are now hiding behind the challenge because they do not dare to answer the five questions currently lingering in the minds of the rakyat,” Rafizi said in a statement today.

The five questions are:
  • Why were the companies belonging to Mohamed Salleh Mohd Alli, the man Rafizi named in the Dewan Rakyat as one of the directors with links to the EC, selected to supply election materials, including the ink, to the EC through direct negotiations?
  • What is the involvement of the EC chairperson and his deputy in obtaining the items, especially the ink?
  • Did the two really fully let go of the whole business of the supplier when that is the most important aspect in implementing the use of indelible ink, which was much touted by the EC?
  • Were they truly not involved in any discussion pertaining to the ink, including its demonstration, chemical content, implementation, etc?
  • When addressing media questions on the ink, did the two not discuss the matter with the other EC officers?


‘So sue me if I’m wrong’

“As the most senior leaders of the EC, they are both fully responsible for all these - from the failure of the indelible ink to the appointment of its supplier through direct negotiations that clinched all the supply contracts but failed to execute them well,” Rafizi said.

NONEHe also questioned why Abdul Aziz (left) and Wan Ahmad were bent on protecting and hiding the identity of the ink supplier when the supplier had affected the EC’s credibility in the eyes of the people.

As to their dare, the Pandan MP said since he has already repeated his allegations outside the Dewan Rakyat, the two could take legal action against him if his allegations are wrong.

“My statement outside of the Dewan is enough for them to take legal action.

“The question of following the wishes of those who are trying to avoid the real questions by bringing up this ‘who is more a man’ dare that they are playing does not arise,” his statement reads.

Rafizi had, on July 18, repeated outside the Dewan Rakyat his allegation that the supplier of the indelible ink won the contract due to close ties with “government leaders including the chairperson and deputy chairperson of the EC”.

The EC top brass has since denied the allegation while Malaysiakini has been trying to contact the company, Integrated Challenger, for its response.

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