PM NAJIB: DO NOT DOUBT GOVERNMENT'S SINCERITY ON ELECTORAL REFORM

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 (Bernama) -- The setting up of the Parliamentary
Select Committee (PSC) is a commitment by the Malaysian government to make the
electoral system even better, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said Sunday.

"I hope our initiative on the PSC shows our sincerity. It does not mean that
we believe there is rigging in the system but we want to make it better.

"Don't doubt our sincerity towards electoral reform," he told reporters
after opening the second 1Malaysia retail outlets at the Bandar Tun Razak
Community Commercial Centre here.

He was asked to comment on claims by certain quaters that the PSC was
pointless if the election was held without the reform.

"Election date is our prerogative, but we are committed to electoral
reform," said Najib.

The Cabinet had, on Wednesday, agreed to set up the PSC and motion of the
proposed PSC would be tabled in Parliament in October.

It will be headed by a minister and comprises nine members of parliament,
five from National Front (Barisan Nasional-BN), three from the opposition and
one independent.

Barisan Nasional (Malay for National Front; commonly abbreviated as BN) is
a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973. The coalition are three
largest religion and race-based political parties — the United Malays National
Organization (UMNO), the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), and the Malaysian
Indian Congress (MIC) — each of which is sectarian in nature, though officially
supporting racial harmony.