The Election Commission - an independent body tasked with the impartial management of free and fair elections - today claimed that it had never been partisan to the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

Commission chief Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman told malaysiakini that the organisation had made efforts to be fair to all, both the ruling and opposition parties.

"We are independent. We don't support anyone. All political parties ... PAS, Umno and so on, are our clients. We have given them all avenues to raise their concerns. All we aim for is a clean and fair election," he said when contacted today.