EC secretariat claims it 'followed Rashid's orders'

Election Commission deputy chief Wan Ahmad Wan Omar has declined to comment on his former boss, ex-EC chief Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman's statement that electoral borders were deliberately changed so Malays would remain in power.

However, Wan Ahmad (left), who was EC secretary when the last redelineation exercise took place in 2002, stressed that the secretariat merely took instructions from the seven-member commission which was then headed by Abdul Rashid.

"In the EC, the (commission) members are the ones who have the powers and responsibilities. The secretary and officers are only doing things that are decided (by them).

"In 2002, I was the secretary, and not in the position to do anything else. I just implemented the decisions by Tan Sri Rashid, who was chairman at the time," he told Malaysiakini yesterday.

Wan Omar, however, refused to elaborate further, especially on what was reportedly said by Abdul Rashid as he had yet read the news report.

"I was informed (about it) by my officer but I had not read the report, so I wouldn't want to comment (on it). I was also not there when he said it so I don't know if the report had quoted him correctly," he said.

The Malaysian Insiderreported that Abdul Rashid (right) had at a Malay rights group Perkasa event on Sunday said the three previous redelineation exercises which he conducted were done to ensure Malays kept political power.

However, the news portal quoted him as saying that it was done "in a proper way" and "not illegally".

This was slammed by electoral reform group Bersih as an admission of gerrymandering, and demanded that the present EC explain if it will follow the same principles.

EC doing research before redelineation

When contacted by Malaysiakini, Abdul Rashid said he will respond to the allegation soon.

His successor, EC chairperson Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof has taken pains to stress that the current redelineation exercise will not be following the principles set out by the previous commission.

Meanwhile, Wan Ahmad said that EC state officers are now conducting extensive research to prepare for the upcoming redelineation exercise.

"The country has changed a lot in the last 10 years, be it geographically and topographically. Lots of these new residential areas were before palm oil fields or rubber plantations.

"Ten years ago, Kota Damansara, Mutiara Damansara and Suria Damansara were all trees and shrubs. Redelineation is good for the people because people move to new places," he said.

He said that once all the research is done, the EC will display the notice for redelineation and the exercise will have to be completed within two years, in accordance with the Federal Constitution.

The next general election, Malaysia's 14^th, will be fought based on the new electoral boundaries.