Go for residence based elections

My column this week will be based on my presentation to the parliamentary select committee on one idea for improved free and fair elections.

Below was the content of my presentation on behalf of the NGO, Oriental Hearts and Mind Study Institute (OHMSI).

Living a life integrated with integrity

The electoral reform opportunity can become a strategic agenda to assign, and give political rights to all Malaysians to live a life of destiny and dignity.

Destiny calls us to be accountable and responsible finally to God. Dignity is living that opportunity with responsibility and accountability driven by uprightness, honour and mutual respect within the nation state.

When Mikhail Gorbachev introduced his concept of perestroika to the Russians, he defined the concept as ‘unity of word and deeds\’, in the book with the same title.

This was a different kind of reformation which he hoped for and sought for his nation crippled by dualistic ways of acting and living. Indeed ( Malaysiankini columnist) Josh Hong called dualistic living, fake Malaysia!

Can the next six months therefore also afford Malaysians the opportunity to \”redefine our concept of thought and life action?\”

We can think of it as integriti hidup dan telusan jiwa! or living a life integrated with integrity; a life so open and transparent, that no one doubts another\’s serious intentions, as Malaysian citizens.

Transparent living

Many Malaysians have more than one residential or correspondence address. The common truth however is that no human can live and work in two different locations at one and the same time.

Therefore, one possible clear and important issue in the election registration and reform process could be the selection and use of one\’s residential address as the basis of one\’s electoral constituency.

One can work in KL and vote in Sabah or Kelantan, but this intent must become public, specific, made intentional and therefore made explicit to the registration department.

The MIC Putera Wing also made an equivalent proposal to change the age for updating registration cards from 18 years of age to 21, and therefore use the new date and address for automatic registration of all voters.

Twenty one is our age of political maturity, although one could argue for 18 as well.

Such a registration with the National Registration Department then becomes the new source and basis of registering one\’s residential address and therefore also one\’s nearest potential polling booth location.

That also makes one\’s chosen registration address wilfully the place of one\’s voting because this is where one chooses to exercise one\’s political choices and decisions.

In the longer term, unless this is changed wilfully again, it also becomes the basis for one\’s death and burial and final removal from the voter\’s list.

Improved model

In the improved model, the police will report on deaths and thereby removal from the polling list.

This selective voting and living address created by residency will negate the current non-transparent movement between one\’s lived life and voting booths that happens regularly today.

Therefore, in this model, one cannot simply choose to register permanency where one does not have a personal postal or residential address, and the same also becomes one\’s permanent address for all other formal purposes, like paying local bills or tax related payments.

This will address many problems related to integration with integrity within a given locality; for example, for residential privileges and local taxes.

Even one\’s car registration would therefore use this same address. The same address would apply for the paying tithes and all local taxes.

Theoretically therefore, if one has four wives and therefore four homes, one has to select the public and therefore published residential address for all other legal and formal purposes.

In biblical times, for this same reason Joseph and Mary had to return to their home town to be available for the Roman population census.

In Malaysia too, we undertake a census every 10 years. It is possible that the foundation and basis of our population census is today distorted because of this lack of consistency and authenticity in the definition of one\’s permanent residential address.

My appeal to the minister and all other members of the select committee was that they consider this proposal to make the change which will afford all Malaysians the opportunity to live lives of dignity and destiny and to honour God through their lives.

The change may be fundamental in many ways and may need some time for all the requisite changes. But we believe it will move us towards a more authentic and transparent lifestyle; one hopefully integrated with integrity!

Finally, this system will in the longer term even allow for a third tier of elections, to select local representatives at the municipal council to help resolve all localised issues and then to negotiate their appropriate resolutions.

May God Bless Malaysia!