Electoral reform group Bersih claims that Chief Justice Md Raus Sharif has issued a directive for the two cases challenging the Election Commission's (EC) redelineation exercise to be expedited.

Bersih said this came to light during the case managements for the challenges in Selangor and Malacca, where lawyers were faced with uncompromising dates.

Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali said the state government, which brought the challenge against the EC, was "shocked by the sudden rush and irregular manner" in which the dates were hastened.

"Our lawyers were told that this was being done on the direct instruction of the chief justice.

"As this is a matter of immense public interest touching on the constitutional voting rights of citizens, it is incumbent on the Selangor government, as a litigant, to seek an explanation for this puzzling change of circumstances," Azmin said in a statement today.

In the case of the challenge brought by the Selangor government, the case management was fixed on July 6.

The Bersih steering committee, in a separate statement, said the case management date was then abruptly brought forward to today (June 9).

"At the case management, the lawyers were informed that the chief justice has directed for the trial to be fixed on 20 June 2017 – giving the lawyers less than five days to file their written submission and to be at the hearing within a week prior to Hari Raya," the Bersih steering committee said in a statement.

Another challenge brought against the EC by residents in Malacca also came up for case management today and lawyers of the case too faced "the same uncompromising directive", it said.

The hearing of the case was fixed on the same date - June 20.

"Bersih demands an explanation as to why these two cases, coincidentally, had dates where the lawyers are unable to request for any changes.

"It is extremely unusual for the courts to force the parties to agree or to fix cases on dates where the counsel are not available, especially if there are other cases fixed earlier.

"The chief justice must explain why the urgency to rush and to have hearing dates brought forward without any reasons being assigned," Bersih said.

It said the lawyers required adequate time to prepare for the cases.

Bersih also reiterated that the EC's present redelineation was unfair and in violation of the Federal Constitution and election laws.

"Time must be taken for both sides to present their arguments and for the courts to decide on appropriate actions.

"There is also no reason to rush as the EC has until August 2018 to finalise their proposals. Why force the courts to have such early dates?

"Bersih urges the chief justice and judges of the High Court to uphold the right to a fair trial in the redelineation cases filed in Selangor and Malacca," it said.

Both the Selangor and Malacca cases had successfully obtained a stay against the EC from proceeding with the redelineation exercise in the respective states.

Fresh challenges in Perak, Penang and Johor have also been filed since April.

Election Commission (EC) chief Mohd Hashim Abdullah had, in an interview published in Sin Chew Daily on Tuesday, conceded that it may need to use the old electoral boundaries for the next general election due to the ongoing court cases.

Bersih claimed that the EC's redelineation proposal was plagued with gerrymandering and malapportionment to favour the ruling BN coalition.