Indelible Ink Excuses: Dakwat Kekal Can't Escape Hari Raya
The indelible ink was meant to be a security measure to prevent double voting. However during the 13th General Elections, hundreds of voters reported that it was easily washed off. EC officials have since given many reasons to explain why. Now it is revealed that the indelible ink was actually food colouring. What happens now?
By Mei Mei Chu — 27 Jun 2013, 03:17 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
Social media users poke fun at the indelible ink
Isu dakwat bukan saja menjadi cerita sedih untuk pengerusi Suruhanjaya Pilihanraya ketika pilihan raya lalu tetapi kini menjadi bahan gurauan pula menjelang Aidil Fitri.
Image via themalaysianinsider.comMCA says Bersih's Ambiga should be responsible for the failure of the indelible ink
MCA publicity bureau chairman Heng Seai Kie said Ambiga was the one who mooted the use of indelible ink as part of Bersih's demands for electoral reform and should take responsibility over the controversies involving its use during polls.
Image via mca.org.myThe MCA has called on Bersih 2.0 chairman Datuk S. Ambiga to take responsibility over the controversies involving the use of indelible ink in elections.
malaysiandigest.comMCA publicity bureau chairman Heng Seai Kie said Ambiga was the one who mooted the use of indelible ink as part of Bersih's demands for electoral reform and should take responsibility over the controversies involving its use during polls.
thestar.com.my“If PKR Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli wants to blame anyone for the hue and cry over the indelible ink, it should be Bersih chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan as she was the one who had initiated this idea and riled up the crowds to support her in this venture of hers,"
themalaymailonline.com
"It is proven now that the use of indelible ink is messy, impractical, and a waste of money and manpower," she said in a statement Thursday.
thestar.com.myEC considering biometric system instead of indelible ink
The Election Commission is looking into replacing the indelible ink with a biometric system as proposed by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim.
thestar.com.myPrime Minister's Department deputy chairman Datuk Wira Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said, "We are still scrutinising the matter internally...using indelible ink is retrogressive. Only third-world countries use it."
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Wan Ahmad said the decision to change the indelible ink will require amendments in the law because a law was formulated to allow its usage in the general election.
Rafizi Ramli stands by his statement that the indelible ink supplier has close relations to EC officials
Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli, who revealed in Parliament the identity of the supplier of the indelible ink and linked him to the leadership of the Election Commission, has repeated his statement outside the parliament where there is no immunity.
themalaysianinsider.com
"I am making the allegations outside Dewan as advised by Dewan Rakyat Speaker and due to the challenge of Barisan lawmakers," he told reporters at a press conference at Parliament lobby on Thursday.
thestar.com.my“I am ready for the EC to commence legal action against me,” Rafizi told reporters at the Parliament lobby, adding that he was unperturbed by such a turn of events as he had the facts on his side.
“I will also file a motion in the Dewan Rakyat so we can discuss the issue of the EC’s integrity during the next Parliament session,” he added.
BN MP Reezal Merican says Rafizi Ramli should repeat his statement outside Parliament if he is sincere with his allegations
Earlier, Kepala Batas MP Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican moved to refer Rafizi to the committee because the EC chairman had denied the link.
themalaysianinsider.com
Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia rejected today a motion to refer PKR MP Rafizi Ramli to the Parliament’s Rights and Privileges Committee over the latter’s remarks on the indelible ink supplier.
themalaymailonline.com
”The three conditions fall short,” he said, referring to the three criteria required to send a lawmaker to the Parliament’s Rights and Privileges Committee, which are: the statement is false, the MP knows the statement is false but does not correct it, and the MP has intentions to mislead the House.
“I cannot say that the statements were misleading, because there were no opposing facts. And if you wanted to refer him to the committee, you should have done this immediately,” said Pandikar, in denying the motion.
This prompted Rafizi to stand up in Parliament and say: “I will file a motion under 36(8) to discuss the Election Commission and I shall repeat my remarks outside the House.”
"My advise to you (Rafizi), is you are brave and sincere in your convictions, repeat the allegations outside Dewan so as to allow the individuals the opportunity to defend themselves in all fairness and justice," Reezal Merican said.
thestar.com.myElection Commission (EC) chairman says Rafizi Ramli is wrongly accusing them
The Election Commission (EC) chairman has denied having any ties with the man said to have been awarded the contract to supply the controversial indelible ink for May’s general election.
themalaysianinsider.com
According to Abdul Aziz, the party involved in purchasing the ink was EC secretary Datuk Kamarudin Baria. “He (Baria) should know the details while my deputy and myself are not aware of this,” said Abdul Aziz.
themalaysianinsider.com
“Why is he (Rafizi) making such slander? Why make accusations during the fasting month? Is he not afraid of sinning? Why accuse me and Datuk Wan Ahmad (Wan Omar)?” Abdul Aziz said when contacted by The Malaysian Insider.
themalaysianinsider.com
Election Commission (EC) deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar today denied knowing the supplier of the controversial indelible ink that was used for the May 5 polls, and insisted that he played no role in its purchase.
themalaymailonline.com“I don’t know him and I don’t have anything to do with buying the ink,” Wan Ahmad told The Malay Mail Online today.
themalaymailonline.comAlleged indelible ink suppliers are keeping mum
On Tuesday, Rafizi told the House that Mohamed Salleh Mohamad Ali was awarded the contract to supply the EC with indelible ink, caps and T-shirts for the 13th general election.
He claimed that Mohamed Salleh had close relations with BN’s top brass, including the EC chairman and deputy chairman.
Integrated Challenger (M) Sdn Bhd, the alleged indelible ink supplier revealed in Parliament yesterday, has refused to entertain several journalists who visited its office.
yahoo.comThe staff member also refused to provide Norsiah's contact details or that of other executives in the company to answer the allegations made in Parliament.
yahoo.comTwo journalists from other media organisations arrived later, also to seek information about one Mohamed Salleh Mohd Ali. However, they left with only photographs of the building.
malaysiakini.com
Rafizi Ramli exposes: He names the suppliers and says they are close to EC officials
The supplier of the controversial indelible ink that was used in the 13th general election (GE13) was named in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, after the government refused to divulge the company's identity on security grounds.
Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli claimed that a businessman received the contract to supply indelible ink for the May 5 general election despite "being close" to the Election Commission chief and his deputy.
thestar.com.my"I call on Arau (Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim) to confirm my information on this.
"This is internal information from the EC," he told Parliament when debating the Supplementary Supply (2012) Bill 2013 during its second reading.
thestar.com.myRafizi said there were a total of three companies involved in the direct negotiation, and they were either directly or indirectly controlled by the said businessperson.
malaysiakini.com
"(The businessperson) is an expert in direct negotiations. He got the ink contract, he even got a defence contract ... because he is close to government leaders including the chairperson and deputy chairperson of the EC," he said.
malaysiakini.com
"The best examples are the things listed under the approved expenses for the general election including t-shirts, caps and the indelible ink. "It is not just very expensive but also pointless," he told the Dewan Rakyat.
Facebook users' look at the lighter side
After hundreds of voters reported that they could easily wash off their indelible ink, the EC have given several reasons on why the ink which was supposed to stay for 7 days, was "delible".
Image via akamaihd.net
It was recently revealed that Indelible ink only contained food colouring, no chemicals. The total cost for GE13's indelible ink usage was RM7.1 million for 216,600 bottles.
Image via akamaihd.netIdentity of the supplier: Kept a secret for "safety reasons"
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said the Election Commission (EC) did not plan to reveal the supplier of the indelible ink for "safety reasons."
malaysiandigest.comAsked who was the supplier of the ink, Shahidan said that the ink was imported from a foreign country but the EC has no plans to name the distributor.
Total cost: RM7.1 million for 216,600 bottles for GE13
"Another RM200,000 in additional costs was incurred for the transport, packaging and storage of the ink," he said, adding that this led the total cost to be RM7.1mil.
malaysiandigest.com“But when you add the transport costs, packaging and storage of the ink, the cost ballooned to RM7.1 million,” he said.
And now: Indelible ink only contained food colouring, no chemicals
Minister in charge of parliamentary affairs, Shahidan Kassim: The expiry date for the ink is four months from its manufacturing date. Tests conducted by EC and on media personnel on May 2proved that the ink was indelible as stated.
"There are no chemicals used in the ink as we replaced them with permitted food colouring," he said, adding that the expiry date of the ink was four months from its manufacturing date.
malaysiandigest.comOn May 5th during the elections, voters reported that the indelible ink was easily washed off. The EC responded with a few possible reasons why..
On May 5th during the elections, voters reported that the indelible ink was easily washed off. The EC responded with a few possible reasons why..
Image via amazonaws.comReason 1 (1 May): "EC staff did not shake the bottle of ink before using"
Claims that the indelible ink put on a voter's index finger can be easily washed off may be due to failure by the Election Commission (EC) staff in following procedures.
malaysiakini.com
EC secretary Kamaruddin Mohamed Baria said today following the claims, the EC ran some tests yesterday and as a result, fingers smeared with ink from shaken bottles lasted longer than the others.
malaysiakini.com
Reason 2 (5 May): "Halal status affected the strength of the ink"
“In overseas, indelible ink does not have to comply to halal status for Muslims,” EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof told reporters here.
The indelible ink used in Election 2013 has a different strength from those used in other countries since it has to comply with halal and health regulations, the Election Commission (EC) said today.
yahoo.comReason 3 (18 June): "God's will"
“On the much-awaited day, the power of Allah (God) is greater when the ink could disappear after being washed several times. Where is the mistake?” said Mr Abdul Aziz
The Chairperson of Malaysia’s Election Commission (EC) has acknowledged the failure of the indelible ink used during the country’s general election last month to prevent repeated votes.
Reason 4 (26 June): "Voters purposely tried to wash off the ink"
Shahidan also said that the expiry date of the ink was four months from the date it was issued but blamed voters for purposely trying to wash off the ink as the reason why it was not permanent.
"How long the ink remains depends on the individual and the efforts put in to wash it off."
Reason 5 (27 June): "Silver nitrate in indelible ink was reduced for voter's safety"
The Election Commission (EC) did not fix how much silver nitrate was to be used in the indelible ink during the 13th general election.
thestar.com.my
Dr Mohd Hatta had asked why the content of silver nitrate in the ink was less than 1% despite the original standard being set at 4%.
thestar.com.my
"The chemicals were reduced because the government cares for the people," Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said today.
malaysiakini.com
Read also: The indelible ink saga throughout GE13
[FULL STORY] Sesetengah pengundi mendapati bahawa dakwat kekal yang digunakan dalam PRU13 boleh ditanggalkan dengan 'baby' oil dan sabun cuci pinggan.
says2.com