KUALA LUMPUR: The government no longer sees a need to establish a tribunal to probe alleged misconduct of the Election Commission (EC) in the run-up and during the 14th General Election (GE14), said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong.
He said this was due to the appointment of a new EC chairman and the premature departure of five of the commission’s members that would take effect in January next year.
Liew said as a result, the issue of setting up such tribunal did not arise presently.
“In regards to the issue of a (proposal to) establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry (to look into alleged EC misconduct), I think it is not the time for that as the matter is being deliberated in court,” said Liew who is charge of law.
He was replying to a question by Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-DAP-Melaka) during Minister’s Question Time at the Dewan Rakyat today.
Khoo had wanted to know whether the government would be setting up a tribunal to investigate purported misconduct by EC especially during GE14.
On Oct 17, an online news portal reported that the government would set up a tribunal to probe numerous allegations of misconduct allegedly perpetrated by EC in the run-up to the historic polls on May 9.
It also reported that the probe on the commission and some of its commissioners would be part of efforts to clean it up and put in place electoral reforms.
Liew said new EC chairman Azhar Azizan Harun was carrying out improvements to the commission.
“At this time, EC is undertaking a process of rejuvenation. I believe in the new EC chairman who would improve EC and resolve various past issues,” he said.
On Khoo’s supplementary question that lack of such tribunal would lead to past alleged issues involving EC go unresolved, Liew assured that these matters would be tackled by the new chairman and other newly-appointed commissioners.
He said among the issues involving EC are Form 14(EC’s Statement of the Poll after Counting the Ballot), accountability, phantom voters, and re-delineation of electoral boundaries.
He said issues like Form 14, for instance, have been brought to court via election petitions.
Liew noted that these issues were being looked into through election petitions at court, with some petitions having been dismissed by court.
In replying to Tan Sri Annuar Musa’s (BN-Umno-Ketereh) supplementary question on whether the appointment of a political activist such as Azhar would affect the EC’s accountability, Liew said that he has confidence in his ability to fulfil his responsibility and curb electoral wrongdoing.