EC has made up its mind on Penang local polls
After consulting the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), the Election Commission (EC) has made its decision on the request of the Penang state government to revive local government elections, but it will inform the chief minister first before making it public.
After consulting the Attorney-General’s (AG) Chambers, the Election Commission (EC) has made its decision on the request of the Penang state government to revive local government elections, but it will inform the chief minister first before making it public.
“We have the answer already but it is better to inform the chief minister first,” said the EC chairperson Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof during a press conference in Putrajaya this morning.
Abdul Aziz said he has received Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s letter on the matter and has replied to him that the matter is being studied.
After seeking feedback from the AG’s Chambers, he revealed, the commission has made its decision and will write to Lim either today or next week.
Although Abdul Aziz refused to divulge the EC’s decision, he stressed that the Local Government Elections Act 1960, the federal law that enables local government polls, had been abolished.
The Penang government led by Pakatan Rakyat has appealed to the EC to conduct local government elections in the state after the state legislative assembly passed and gazetted the Penang Island and Province Wellesley 2012 Enactment in July.
Should the EC reject the call, the state will proceed - as it has already announced - to seek a court decision as to whether the local authorities can conduct the polls instead.
From March 2008 to March 2012, a total of 3,642,974 new voters have been registered nationwide.
Selangor continued to top other states with 615,281 new voters, followed by Johor (449,209) and Perak (384,291).
However, Selangor also has the highest number of qualified citizens who have yet to register at 581,967, followed by Johor (453,325), Sarawak (436,216) and Federal Territory (384,450).
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