Suspend EC chief to kickstart institutional reforms, says Bersih

Electoral reform NGO Bersih has called for Election Commission chief Mohd Hashim Abdullah to be suspended to begin the government’s process of institutional reforms.

Not only that, it said the six other EC commissioners should also be suspended as the commission had “lost public confidence” and was complicit in “electoral malpractices” in the 14th general election.

“The chief commissioner Mohd Hashim, his deputy Othman Mahmood and the other five commissioners have to this day unashamedly held on to their positions and refused to resign or take responsibility.

”To kickstart the reform process, Bersih calls on Prime Minister (Dr Mahathir Mohamad) to initiate the process of suspending the chief commissioner and his deputy pending investigation and their complete removal.

“Subsequently, a tribunal should be established to remove all seven current commissioners in order for a new batch of competent, credible and independent commissioners to take over,” Bersih acting chairperson Shahrul Aman Mohd Saari told members of the press this morning.

He said this after a seven-member team from Bersih handed over two proposals - one for electoral reform and another for parliamentary reform - to Institutional Reforms Committee (IRC) secretariat member Zawiah Mohd Yusof at Menara Ilham in Kuala Lumpur.

Shahrul hoped that the IRC would expedite the reforms listed in Bersih’s proposals in the next 100 days.

“While a lot of attention and work have already begun on the 1MDB issue, Bersih emphasises the urgent need for electoral reforms to also start immediately,” he said, adding that Bersih will formally present its suggestions to the IRC on May 30.

Established by the Council of Eminent Persons last Tues (May 15), the IRC is slated to hold its first meeting at 5pm today. 

The IRC members are:

• Retired Court of Appeal judge KC Vohrah
• Retired Court of Appeal judge and Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) commissioner Mah Weng Kwai
• Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan (Patriot) president and retired brigadier general Mohd Arshad Raji
• National Human Rights Society (Hakam) chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan
• Universiti Malaya law professor Shad Saleem Faruqi - Mkini