The Coalition of Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) welcomes the Election Court’s decision to void the Rantau state seat election result and call for a fresh poll.
The prevention of Dr S Streram’s nomination during the 2018 general election was clearly an abuse of his constitutional right to be an election candidate and the voters’ right to choose a candidate. This is especially significant given that the entry pass to the nomination centre is not a requirement under election regulations.
The returning office, Amino Agus Suyub, should be further charged under Section 4(g) of the Election Offences Act for breaching his official duty. Those found guilty shall be liable to be jailed up to two years and/or fined up to RM5,000.
We hope the judgment sends a clear and strong signal to the Electoral Commission and election officers not to abuse their positions in the future. These unlawful attempts to deny the right of candidates and voters in elections should not be tolerated.
Bersih 2.0 steering committee
Our voluntary writers work hard to keep these articles free for all to read. But we do need funds to support our struggle for Justice, Freedom and Solidarity. To maintain our editorial independence, we do not carry any advertisements; nor do we accept funding from dubious sources. If everyone reading this was to make a donation, our fundraising target for the year would be achieved within a week. So please consider making a donation to Persatuan Aliran Kesedaran Negara, CIMB Bank account number 8004240948.