Nancy: Ridiculous for prisoners to have power to vote

Nancy Shukri says Nurul Izzah should be aware of Malaysian laws which stipulate that an individual who is serving a jail sentence loses his eligibility to vote.

PUTRAJAYA: There are no double standards in carrying out sentencing as well as implementing the laws in the country, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri.

She said a sentence meted down to an offender is fair regardless of the individual’s background.

“All laws are for everybody, we don’t practise double standards in implementing the laws,” she told reporters after opening the ‘Legal Forum 4U & Me’, here today.

Nancy was commenting on a call by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice-president Nurul Izzah that her father Anwar Ibrahim be allowed to vote in the Permatang Pauh by-election on May 7.

The Permatang Pauh by-election was called following the decision of the Pardons Board on March 16 to reject a royal pardon petition by Anwar who was the constituency’s MP, filed by his family members.

Anwar, who is the Opposition leader, is currently serving a five year sentence after being convicted of sodomising his personal assistant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Nancy said Nurul Izzah’s motive in making the call was best known to herself as the Opposition should be aware of Malaysian laws which stipulate that an individual who is serving a jail sentence loses his eligibility to vote.

“We don’t have two sets of laws for everybody put it that way.”

“He was a former MP there, so perhaps the matter was raised…it is not relevant, if prisoners have the power to vote, it would be ridiculous.”

“That is why people do not want to be jailed, as a citizen loses his right to vote when he is imprisoned,” Nancy clarified.

- BERNAMA