EC looking at proposals to improve next GE

Deputy minister says government will not direct the Election Commission to do anything but it hopes the EC will discharge its duties competently.

DEWAN RAKYAT

KUALA LUMPUR: The Election Commission is scrutinising proposed improvements for the next general election, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohamed Hanipa Maidin said the Institutional Reforms Committee (IRC) had submitted proposals for the improvements after considering the views of various quarters.

“The proposed improvements will involve amendments to the Federal Constitution and laws related to elections. Updating and studying the existing process requires an appropriate time frame,” he said.

He was replying to a question from Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka) who had wanted to know what short- and long-term measures the government and EC were taking to restore the integrity of the election process in the country.

Replying to a suggestion by Khoo for the government to direct the EC to resolve the issue of the electoral rolls that often sparked controversy during an election, Mohamed Hanipa said the government would not interfere in the work of the EC which was an independent body.

“We will not interfere in the work of the EC. We will give EC the autonomy to act as an independent body. It is a body guaranteed by the constitution and we hope it discharges its task without fear or favour,” he said.

Replying to a supplementary question from Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan), who asked about online registration of voters and whether the voting age would be reduced from 21 to 18, Mohamed Hanipa said these were still under discussion. FMT