Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar today questioned the Court of Appeal's haste in fixing the hearing date of the Attorney-General's Chambers appeal for the Election Commission (EC), after she and 10 voters obtained leave for her constituency to challenge the EC's redelineation exercise earlier this month.

The PKR vice-president said normally the appellate court would fix a date after two months of an appeal filed. However, in the case affecting her constituency, the AG Chambers' appeal had been fixed on Feb 13.

"We do not know the grounds of the AG Chambers' appeal as the record of appeal has not been filed yet. Usually this process takes two months or more.

"Yet, the Court of Appeal fixed the date to hear and expedite the request. I hope there is no interference (by the judiciary)," she said.

The scheduled hearing on Feb 13, according to Nurul, was listed before a special panel which would also hear Bersih chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah's appeal with regard to the redelineation exercise in Petaling Jaya Utara, where she failed to obtain leave.

It was reported that Nurul and 10 voters of the Lembah Pantah constituency had obtained leave (permission) on Jan 3 before then Judicial Commissioner Azizul Azmi Adnan (now a confirmed judge), to challenge the EC's redelineation exercise.

Nurul said the AG's Chambers and EC's application for a stay of proceedings before Justice Azizul would be heard this Friday.

At present, there are challenges made in Peninsular Malaysia regarding the redelineation exercise by the Selangor government and its menteri besar Azmin Ali, which is being heard on its merits.

Asked if she would consider withdrawing her judicial challenge against the EC in a bid to scuttle the AG's Chambers appeal and allow the Selangor challenge to go on, Nurul said she would make a decision soon.

“However, the people or voters of Kuala Lumpur should be protected by the Constitution (to a fair redelineation). The AG's Chambers did not file an objection (an appeal) to the Selangor case unlike KL,” she added.

The PKR vice-president also quetioned why the AG's Chambers, which was appearing for the EC, did not object when Selangor obtained leave, resulting in the present case to be heard on its merits.