PM Najib doesn't interfere in EC business, says Nazri

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz says, contrary to popular belief, that the prime minister does not interfere in the work of the Election Commission (EC).

Nazri also claimed that the prime minister has no hand in the appointment of the EC’s commissioners.

"The constitution states that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong appoints EC members after consulting the Council of Malay Rulers. There is no mention of the PM's role," Nazri told an international forum on GE13 in Kuala Lumpur today.

He argued that as the constitution was silent on the role of the PM in the appointment of EC commissioners, this must be taken literally to mean that the premier has no say in the process.

To the best of his knowledge - in his eight years as the minister with oversight over the EC - Nazri said, the prime minister has not interfered in the commission's affairs, whatsoever.

[More to follow]