'Treason if EC comes under Parliament's purview'

It is ‘treasonous' to place the appointment of Election Commission (EC) commissioners under the parliament's purview, said Perkasa vice president Zulkifli Noordin, because the EC's composition is the Agong's prerogative.

Making reference to Article 114 of the federal constitution, he pointed out that the commissioners are appointed by the Agong after consulting the Conference of Rulers, and makes no mention of the parliament having any say on the matter.

"Therefore the opposition's suggestion to give parliament the power to determine the appointment of EC members not only contradicts the constitution, it is an attempt to wrest power and jurisdiction from the agong.

"In other words, it is treason to the agong and the Malay rulers," he wrote in a commentary in Utusan Malaysia's weekend edition today, in what appears to be a part of a series of articles.

He also pointed out that only the agong could appoint a tribunal try the EC's commissioners and remove them for office, despite calls for them to be sacked.

However, Zulkifli did not name any opposition figures who allegedly called for the parliament to be given powers to appoint EC members.

Previously, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak (right) hadannounced a bipartisan parliamentary oversight committee to oversee the EC.

He had said this at Istana Negara on June 1 in conjunction with Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah's investiture ceremony, but released no details.