"I have already spoken with a few heads of department under my ministry," he said, "and they have pledged their fullest support for the commision."

The commission's complaint that it was getting little help from some government departments to clean the electoral roll, Abdullah said, is a very serious matter.

"They will give closer co-operation now.

"Maybe there were, some problem within the respective departments that prevented them from co-operating, but it is alright now."he said.

Abdullah, who is also Home Minister, said this when asked about commission chairman Datuk Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman's complaint of lack of inter-governmental co-operation to clean the electoral roll.

Abdul Rashid had also said that for the commission to be effective in cleaning up the roll, it requried the assistance of several relevant agencies.

They,included the National Registration Department, the Immigration Department, courts, police and hospitals.

According to Abdullah, he met NRD director-general Datuk Azizan Ayob and deputy IGP Tan Sri Jamil Johari after the Cabinet meeting yesterday.

"It is not that they were reluctant but the agreed to be more co-operative.

In the past, much office work was carried out manually, he said, but things were now more efficient with the use of computers.

"Thus, we should be able to do things faster and with greater efficiency.

"If there is a request for a intergovernmental co-operation this should be honoured by the parties involved.

"Greater co-operation will mean smooth running of the government machinery," he said.

Abdullah was here to open the two-day InfoSoc Malaysia 2001, an information technology convention held by the National Information Technology Council and co-organised by Mimos Bhd and Pikom.

Asked about the presence of holders of fake ICs on the electoral roll, Abdullah said the police had made numerous arrests.

However, people cannot blame the NRD for this because they are the work of criminals.

Citing another example, Abdullah said :

"We also cannot put the blame on Bank Negara for the presence of counterfeit currency."

Asked on the commission's automatic voter proposal, Abdullah said the matter would have to be studied by the Prime Minister's Department.

On the Nanyang Press purchase by MCA's investment arm, he said he had nothing more to speak of it except for saying that those involved know what was best to resolve the mater.

Asked for his opinion if High Court judge Datuk Muhammad Kamil Awang should lodge a report with the police over his "interference" claim recently, Abdullah said :"He hasn't lodged a police report?"

Anyway, he said, Muhammad had already informed his boss (Chief Justice Tan Sri Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah).

"Let the CJ resolve the matter."he said.