Pakatan ‘no’ to rule change
Opposition against any EC revision to electoral procedures
KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Harapan will object to any change in electoral procedures by the Election Commission (EC).
Its chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad claimed that the EC had during recent electoral briefings to political parties revealed that regulations on counting of ballots, polling agents and counting agents could be amended for the polls.
He said they were informed that counting agents could now be named on Nomination Day instead of only on the day of polling.
Dr Mahathir said political parties were also told that tabulating of votes for both parliamentary and state seats could be held simultaneously.
“Before this, vote counting was done for parliamentary seats followed by state seats,” he told a press conference after chairing Pakatan’s presidential council meeting yesterday.
Dr Mahathir said he would officially write to EC chairman Tan Sri Mohd Hashim Abdullah to object to the changes.
At another press conference, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said Johor DAP chairman Liew Chin Tong was picked to take on MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong in Ayer Hitam as he is con- sidered “a DAP general”.
“Liew is ready to prove himself by contesting in a dangerous seat, and leaving his safe seat. This is leading by example,” Lim said of the naming of the Kluang MP to challenge Dr Wee, who is a threeterm Ayer Hitam MP.
Lim also announced former Bersih coordinator and Shanghai Bersih founder Johnson Chew Chong Sin as the latest addition to DAP.
Liew, who was present at the press conference, dismissed talk that Chew would contest in Kluang.
Chew said contesting in the polls was not important to him.
“I joined DAP to be a frontline political worker,” he said.