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Ezam was one of three Keadilan leaders disqualified

Aliran is dumb-founded by the latest ruling of the Election Commission. The disqualification of three prominent KeADILan leaders from contesting in the forthcoming 11th General Election must have brought cheers to the Barisan Nasional. Many thinking Malaysians would view this decision as doing a big favour for the BN and making a mockery of natural justice.

The laws of the land state that a person is innocent until he has exhausted all the legal remedies available to him under the law. Until then he doesn't lose his rights.

By taking away their rights before the legal process can complete its course, the EC has seemingly acted in a high-handed fashion defying all logic and common sense. Their conduct would be perceived as an affront to justice and decency.

A Constitutional question also arises here. Article 8 guarantees "All persons are equal before the law and entitled to the equal protection of the law."

When every other citizen retains his rights until the final process of the law, is it right that these three leaders should be deprived of their rights before the legal process has run its entire course? Why is it that only contesting candidates in an election are deprived of this due process of the law and disqualified immediately after their initial conviction?

It is of little comfort to be told of the existence of the law prohibiting their participation in the election. It is a bad law which is anti-democratic and immoral. It is a law instituted by the BN. This is what happens when a two-thirds majority is given to the BN. They introduce terrible laws to deprive the citizens of their natural justice. A two-third majority makes it easier for the BN to amend the Constitution and deny our human rights.

Ezam Mohd Nor's threat to take on the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who escaped by the skin of his teeth in the last election has been effectively removed by the EC. With this ruling the DPM will be able to breathe a little easier and sleep a little longer.

P Ramakrishnan
President
5 March 2004

For other media alerts please refer to the Malaysian Election Media Monitors Diary.

This statement was sent to the local media including The Star and the Sun. We have stopped sending statements to the New Straits Times as they have never been carried.