CCTV for Permatang Pauh by-elections to curb fraud...

CCTV without recording capabilities is useless - and, from what I now know, that is what they have in most of the police stations - and of course, persons who are supposed to be monitoring them just would not see the 'torture' or how some person died in custody, for example the death in custody case in the Ampang police station (the case of Veerasamy) - and we cannot even now have the ability review the tapes to satisfy ourselves that Veerasamy's death was not brought about by the wrong doing of some policeman.

CCTV sounds great -- to help curb crime, they say...good. But then, the question must be whether it will have any recording capacity or not(or audio)... Human being sitting in front of the CCTV screen is just not good enough. Human frailty and other 'incentives' can ensure that one will not see certain things...

The Housing and Local Government Ministry will install 480 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in a bid to curb crime.

Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan said the cameras would monitor public areas such as pedestrian walkways and parks.

....However, he said the Government could not put up cameras on private premises.

The entire system including personnel and surveillance centres to monitor the CCTV footage would cost about RM50mil.

It would be manned by personnel from the ministry, police and local municipal councils.

“These cameras, to be installed by year’s end are intended to fight crime in dense urban areas such as Bukit Bintang, George Town, Ipoh and Seremban.

“We have just finished calling for the tenders and will start installing the CCTVs in November and complete (installation) before the end of the year,” he said yesterday after launching the Tan Sri Low Chuan Community Centre. - Star Online, 16/8/2008,Government to install RM50mil surveillance system

Well, I say let us install this CCTV (with recording capabilities and audio) in all the police stations, on all police patrol cars, on every policeman (and also maybe them immigration enforcement personnell) - because this will definitely help curb crime.

Oh yes, can we not use the CCTV (with recording capabilities and audio) during this Permatang Pauh by-elections, especially when it concerns the postal votes -- to ensure that there is no tampering.

Record also the faces of all who come to cast votes, as this will be good for later identification of them 'phantom voters'. Airports immigration counters have these little cameras which takes a photo.

Likewise, what about taking the photo of the voter, and with the name and NRIC Number - when he comes to the polling station. We are not talking about pictures when he is casting his vote. This way when the real Mr Lim Kam Late arrives later, only to find that someone else have come earlier used his name and already cast the vote - we can always check the records and go after the person who first claimed to be 'Mr Lim Kam Late'. This will surely deter them Phantom voters...

Will the indelible ink be used?...will there be a lot of 'phantom voters'?...will they use the proposed 'take photo of every voter that come to vote' so that we will be able to weed out the pretenders later on?

Expect that in this by-elections, there will be a lot of money floating around here and there, threats and promises, and hanky-panky... but we all hope for the best and hope the constituents of Pematang Pauh cast their votes wisely...