The petition to abolish Section 9A of the Elections Act 1958 has garnered over 800 signatures since it was first started on Thursday.

NONE The petition was started by Klang MP Charles Santiago and his Pakatan colleagues, as the Election Commission (EC) appears bent on defending the law that bars judicial review of the electoral roll.

"Yesterday, the Election Commission's (EC) deputy chairperson Wan Ahmad Wan Omar  ( right ) was quoted as saying that Section 9A is needed to prevent people from stalling the electoral process by challenging the electoral roll.

"Wan Ahmad's justification is a charade. Clearly, Wan Ahmad prefers Section 9A to be maintained as it gives the EC absolute powers in controlling the electoral roll," said Santiago in a statement today.

Section 9A was introduced under the tenure of then premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad after the High Court in 2001 declared the Likas state seat results null and void due to the pressence of non-citizens on the electoral roll.

The law effective bars the judiciary from making similar decisions as it can no longer review the electoral roll.

NONE The law, Charles ( left ) said, would allow the EC to conduct elections even with the presence of fraudulent names on the electoral roll as the commission is the sole authority on the matter.

"I reiterate that Section 9A is undemocratic. It is a key obstacle towards a free and fair election. It prevents judicial oversight over a fraudulent electoral roll.

"I call on the EC to support the call to abolish Section 9A. Otherwise it would tantamount to them defending phantom voters and an admission that EC is against free and fair elections," he said.

Charles also urged Malaysians to sign the petition dubbed "Mansuhkan 9A" (Repeal 9A) in a bid to pressure the government to cede to the demand.