The Court of Appeal has adjourned a hearing on the Election Commission's application to set aside a stay application to bar it from holding local inquiries on the redelineation exercise to Monday.

According to former Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan, who is representing the Selangor government, this is to allow her client to file an affidavit in reply to the EC.

On Dec 7, Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Azizul Azmi Adnan dismissed the Selangor government's legal challenge against the redelineation exercise.

However, Justice Azizul granted a stay on his decision, which prevents the EC from conducting an inquiry on the grouses of voters in Selangor.

The state government is challenging the exercise on four grounds: gerrymandering and malapportionment of seats; the presence of 136,272 dubious voters; the lack of information in the notice given by the EC; and the failure of the delimitation exercise to use the latest electoral roll.

At present, the report by the EC cannot be handed to the prime minister, as the EC must have all peninsular states in its submission, including Selangor.

Meanwhile, judge Idrus Harun, who led the appellate bench today, dismissed the Selangor government's application to recuse him over alleged bias.

The state government had wanted Justice Idris recused as he had sat on three other panels for cases in which the EC won.

Further reading:

Your KiniGuide to the redelineation exercise