UM LECTURER NOW EC DEPUTY CHIEF
King also consents to appointment of 4 others as commissioners
THE Yang di-Pertuan Agong has consented to the appointment of Universiti Malaya Faculty of Law Associate Professor Dr Azmi Sharom as deputy chairman of the Election Commission (EC).
Chief Secretary to the Government Datuk Seri Dr Ismail Bakar said Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah Sultan Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah also consented to the appointment of four others as commissioners.
They are former Foreign Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Ramlan Ibrahim; former Human Resources Department director-general Datuk Chin Phaik Yoong; Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Institute of Malaysia and International Studies senior fellow Associate Professor Dr Faisal S. Hazis; and, Bersih 2.0 resource officer Zoe Randhawa.
“Their appointments take effect from the date they report to the commission, until they reach the age of 66, in line with Clause 3, Article 114 of the Federal Constitution,” said Ismail.
Prior to their appointments, EC chairman Azhar Azizan Harun had been carrying out the duties of the commission on his own.
It was reported that six EC members, including its deputy chairman, had resigned on Jan 1.
EC comprises seven members: a chairman, a deputy chairman and five members, which means that there is one spot left vacant.
Several people had questioned the legality of EC’s decisions on by-elections, considering Azhar had been acting alone.
Azhar had said the law allowed for the chairman, in such conditions, to execute the commission’s duties.
He had said Articles 114(1) and 114(7) of the Federal Constitution should be read with Section 33C of the Federal Constitution’s 11th Schedule, “which clearly states” that any vacancy of a commission member will not affect the decision made at that time.