PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court's decision on Election Commission (EC)'s ongoing re-delineation is proof that the exercise had fulfilled all the principals and requirements as contained in the Federal Constitution.
EC chairman Tan Sri Mohd Hashim Abdullah said as such all parties should accept and respect the decision by the court.
"The decision is a judicial recognition involving the separation of powers between the executive, legislative and judiciary branches in the country, in line with country's practice on separation of powers," he said in a statement today.
On Monday, the Federal Court held that the EC recommendations for a re-delineation exercise in parliamentary and state constituencies was not amendable to judicial review.
Chief Justice Tun Md Raus Sharif who chaired a three-man bench said the EC's action in its delimitation exercise was a mere action that did not bind parties and as such was not amendable to judicial review.
He said this in his decision to dismiss applications brought by two DAP members of parliament from Perak and seven voters from Melaka to get leave of the Federal Court to appeal against the appellate court's decisions which did not rule in favour of them in respect of their judicial review.
Hashim said the EC also took note of the Penang appellate court's decision today which dismissed the Penang government's appeal for leave to challenge a re-delineation exercise proposed by the EC.
"However, on our side can't give any further explanation on the ruling, considering there are other cases which are not resolved yet at the High Court level," he said.
He said EC will continue with its re-delineation exercise until the final report is handed over to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak as contained in the Federal Constitution.
"EC's responsibility on the exercise will come to an end when the final report is submitted to the Prime Minister.
"Whether or not the report will be presented at the Dewan Rakyat is up to the prime minister as it would no longer come under the purview of the commission," he added.