EC gets another week to file bid to strike out Anwar’s suit

PETALING JAYA: The Election Commission (EC) has been given another week to file their application to strike out a challenge by jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim that his rights have been violated due to malapportionment of constituencies in its redelineation exercise.

Lawyer Shahid Adli Kamarudin said the extension was allowed by the Alor Setar High Court deputy registrar today as the Attorney-General’s Chambers was not ready with the application.

“They have been given until Jan 16 to file the striking out application and the next case managment will be held on Jan 22,” said Shahid who appeared for Anwar and another voter, Azman Nazaruddin.

On Dec 12, the EC indicated during a case management that it would annul the suit and the court ordered the application to be filed on or before Jan 9.

The case management is held at the High Court in Alor Setar as Anwar and Azman filed their action there on Nov 22.

Anwar, who is currently in jail on a sodomy conviction, and Azman, a voter in the Sungai Petani parliamentary seat, want the High Court to declare that there was voter disparity when compared with other constituencies in the peninsula.

The opposition leader, in his affidavit in support of the action, said he was a registered voter in the Permatang Pauh seat.

He said there were 80,574 voters in the second quarter of this year compared with 71,699 voters when the 13th general election was conducted on May 5, 2013.

He said the number of voters in Lipis, Gerik, Lenggong, Padang Rengas, Kuala Kangsar, Parit, Bagan Datok, Labis, Sembrong, Pengerang, Padang Terap and Sik was between 35,000 and 50,000.

Similarly, Azman said there were 101,219 voters in his constituency in the second half of this year compared with 93,175 people on the electoral roll during the 13th general election.

Anwar and Azman said these were due to malapportionment arising from unfair delineation of constituencies.

Both said they would provide the number of voters in other federal constituencies to support their claim. -FMT