Two panellists have dropped out of the Bersih 3.0 protest inquiry panel set up by the Home Ministry.

azlan Announcing this after the panel's second meeting today, its chief Mohd Hanif Omar said the duo are former Chief Judge of Borneo Steve Shim and Petronas corporate affairs senior general manager Medan Abdullah.

"Shim has rejected the appointment due to health reasons and Medan has other current concerns that he has to address," he told a press conference in Putrajaya today.

The replacement for the two, added Hanif, will be decided by the government soon.

The remaining members are Sinar Harian managing editor Hussamuddin Yaacub, Media Chinese International (Sin Chew group) legal adviser Liew Peng Chuan and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia psychology professor Ruszmi Ismail.

Hanif added that the panel, which held its second meeting today in which police briefed its members, will reconvene next Monday.

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein had on May 9 announced the composition of the six-member panel with Hanif as its head.

This led to a firestorm, with Hanif’s independence being questioned because the former inspector-genersal of police had weeks before said that Bersih 3.0 was infiltrated by communists.

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