DAP MP seeks judicial review against EC

Klang MP Charles Santiago claims voter registration form was forged by an Umno assistant registrar.

SHAH ALAM: Klang MP Charles Santiago has filed a judicial review to compel the Election Commission (EC) to remove a Malaysian who is currently residing in the UK from the voters’ list as he was registered illegally without his knowledge.

S Dinesh, 32, who has been living in the UK for the past 15 years had never registered as a voter as he is based in the UK.

“We are here to get a judicial review to delete Dinesh’s name from the voters’ list in Klang as he was registered without his knowledge and he did not give permission to anyone to register him as a voter.

“His voter registration form was forged as somebody else signed for him without his consent,” Santiago said at the Shah Alam High Court today after filing the judicial review.

Santiago said that at a meeting with Selangor EC chief Zulkifli Abdul Rahman earlier this week, the latter admitted that the assistant registrar involved was an Umno member and had registered many voters.

“The assistant registrar by the name of Hishamuddin Kassim served for Umno and he was the one involved in registering Dinesh as a voter.

“However, he has been sacked due to cases of fraudulent voter registration,” Santiago said.

Santiago also said that this was not the only case involving voters living overseas who were registered without their knowledge.

“We have also found out there is one Malaysian who is working in Dublin and two others who live in Australia who are registered as voters without their knowledge.”

“In light of this, there are definitely criminal elements involved in falsifying documents, using false information and even impersonating a person.

“This is a clear-cut case of fraud involving agents representing Umno,” he said.

Sack EC deputy chairman

“In a statement which appeared in theSun daily yesterday, EC deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said that the issue was not a big deal.

“He said that if Dinesh is truly unhappy, then he should just not vote during the election. Therefore, I call for his sacking because the EC deputy chairman is actually condoning fraud,” said Santiago.

“With this, I am not sure how the EC is going to conduct free and fair election, as this involves the integrity of the election.”

Santiago also stressed that if the election is won through fraud, the government would not be a legitimate one.

“If they don’t clean up the mess, and if the BN were to win this election by fraud, it will be an illegitimate government,” he said.