Disgruntled over PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim's allegation that 500,000 early ballots from security force personnel had been tampered with, Election Commission (EC) deputy chief Wan Ahmad Wan Omar retorted by accusing the Permatang Pauh MP of being the "king of slander".

He clarified that the number of early ballots cast on April 30 - five days before the polling day - was only around 230,000 involving security force personnel and their spouses.

NONE Hence, Anwar was telling a lie simply to achieve his personal ambition and to take revenge by making the EC a scapegoat, he said according to a report in Berita Harian today.

"He is the king of slander. Let the laws deal with all the actions of Anwar. For people who defame a lot and tell lies, God willing, God will expose them," Wan Ahmad ( right ) was quoted as saying.

According to the report, Anwar claimed during a protest rally in Penang last Saturday night that the EC was involved in the tampering of 500,000 early ballots to help BN in winning the general election.

Anwar also alleged that he only secured five percent of the early ballots in the Permatang Pauh constituency, although he understood earlier that 95 percent of the ballots would go to him.

Wan Ahmad reiterated that those who are unhappy with the election results may file an election petition after the results are gazetted at the end of this month.

He also revealed that the EC's legal advisers are studying the various allegations from the opposition and collecting evidence before taking the next step against Anwar.

"The EC will not stay quiet, but we need to make careful planning according to the provisions of the laws," Wan Ahmad added.

NONE Meanwhile in another report published by The Star today, Wan Ahmad urged a voter - who had been mistaken by Serdang MP Ong Kian Ming as a foreigner on polling day - to lodge a police report against the first-term parliamentarian.

He said that the police report can serve as a lesson to others.

Ong ( left ) had earlier accused Chua Lai Fatt, an Indian Malaysian who has a Chinese name in his MyKad, as a foreigner who tried to vote illegally.

He later apologised and wanted to personally meet Chua and his family to extend his apologies to them as well.