AG: Ex-EC head not hauled up as he had resigned

PETALING JAYA: Tan Sri Mohd Hashim Abdullah was not hauled up for misconduct during the 14th General Election because he had resigned before the tribunal was set up, says Tommy Thomas.

The Attorney General told the tribunal there were two factual differences between the former Election Commission chairman and the six former EC members.

Firstly, he said, Hashim’s resignation happened months before the tribunal was even set up.

“Secondly, the resignations of the six were not on the date that they sent in (their resignations). They sent it on Oct 18 and would only take effect on Jan 1.

“If they had resigned on the day they wrote the letter then factually it would be very different,” he said.

Hashim resigned on July 1 last year.

Subsequently, on Oct 17, it was reported that the government would set up a tribunal to investigate the six for alleged electoral malpractice.

A day later, five of the EC members announced their resignation.

They include Tan Sri Othman Mahmood, Datuk Md Yusop Mansor, Datuk Abdul Aziz Khalidin, Datuk Sulaiman Narawi and Datuk Leo Chong Cheong.

Datuk K. Bala Singam Karupiah resigned on Nov 27.

Datuk Shaharudin Ali and Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz represented Othman, Yusop, Aziz and Sulaiman. Datuk K. Kumaraendran and K. Kumaraguru appeared for Bala Singam, while R Kengadharan appeared for Leo.

Shaharudin said the EC members had resigned “not in anticipation of the tribunal”, as within the EC prior to their resignation, there was already discussions about shortening their service.

He said the nature of the tribunal proceedings was punitive in nature.