Anwar, Isa eligible to contest — EC

PORT DICKSON: Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate for the Port Dickson by-election Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, of PKR, is eligible to contest, despite objection raised by PAS.

Election Commission (EC) chairman Azhar Azizan Harun said Anwar had been given full pardon by the Yang diPertuan Agong in accordance with provisions in the Federal Constitution.

“The EC is taking the stand that Anwar is eligible to stand as a candidate and to contest in the P132 Port Dickson parliamentary by-election,” he told reporters after nomination for the byelection yesterday.

A PAS representative, Ramli Ismail,69, had submitted a letter of protest to the EC at 9.32 am, which stated, among others, that the power of pardon under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution only referred to pardon against the execution of sentence, whether to remit, suspend or reduce, and not intended to mean cancelling the conviction of a criminal offence.

On the status of another, Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad, who is contesting as an Independent, Azhar Azizan said as provided in the Federal Constitution, investigations that were conducted on him did not have any effect on his qualification as a candidate.

In another development, Azhar Azizan said the EC had made several improvements , including setting up two voting streams for voters aged 60 and above, and extend the voting hours by 30 minutes, which would be from 8 am to 5.30 pm.

“We expect the voter turnout for the Port Dickson by-election to reach 70 per cent. The results of the by- election will be announced before 10 pm on polling day, which is Oct 13,” he added.

He said the number of voting stream had also been increased to 171, from 145 previously, as well as the voting booths, from two to three.

He advised voters to check for information on their polling stations and polling streams early through the EC website or by calling the EC at 03-88927018, SMS 15888 or through the mySPR application.

The EC, he said, had appointed 72 observers from seven government and nongovernmental organisations to monitor the election process for the Port Dickson by-election.

They included from Darul Ehsan Institute, Bersih 2.0, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, ENGAGE and the National Politics Think-Tank Club.

“The EC has also allowed and given visitor status to two representatives from Intergovernmental Organisation based in Australia,” he said.