'Yes, EC officer in Rantau fiasco was ex-Umno leader, but...'

GE14 | The Election Commission's (EC) officer in the Rantau PKR candidate's nomination rejection fiasco is a former Umno leader, but he did not call the shots on the day, Negeri Sembilan caretaker menteri besar Mohamad Hasan said.

Mohamad pointed out that Rembau district officer (DO) Amino Agus, who was also the Returning Officer (RO) for Rembau, on nomination day last Saturday, was the one who did not allow the candidate, Dr S Streram, to go in.

"That day, the RO was inside (the nomination centre).

"It was him who did not allow the candidate. The (former Umno leader) is a junior officer, (who was on duty) outside (the nomination centre). He took instructions from the inside. So the story is different," Mohamad, who is also the state BN chief, told a press conference after officiating the state BN operations room in Seremban.

The junior officer had already relinquished all his posts in Umno after being promoted (in EC), some time ago, Mohamad added.

Hence, the claims regarding the said officer's Umno membership may be a planned sabotage by the opposition, as they know they cannot win Rantau and Rembau, he reiterated.

Rantau is a state seat under the parliamentary seat of Rembau, of which caretaker Youth and Sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin is the incumbent MP.

As a result of Streram's barring from contesting, Mohamad, who is the incumbent Rantau assemblyperson, won the seat unopposed.

Khairy has served a writ of summons on PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli for alleging he had conspired with Mohamad to influence the EC to bar Streram from entering the nomination centre, for not bringing his candidate's pass, which is required.  - Mkini