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Relieved Tan gets to contest after MyKad 'scare'

GE14 | EC has accepted the nomination of PKR’s Tan Yee Kew as a candidate for the Wangsa Maju seat although her MyKad was produced after the nomination period ended at 10am.

At 11am, the returning officer announced BN’s Yew Teong Look, PAS' Razali Tumiran and Tan Yee Kew as the candidates for the parliamentary seat.

Tan told reporters she realised that she forgot to bring her MyKad when she arrived at the main door of the nomination centre.

However, she was allowed to enter the nomination hall after showing the EC official an image of her identity card on the mobile phone and a photocopy of it.

"The returning officer accepted the photocopy of my IC (in the nomination process) until my IC was sent here. At last, the original IC is here."

When asked the exact time the MyKad was produced, she gave a vague answer.

A reporter queried whether it was after 10.01am, Tan said: "Maybe it was. Actually, we didn’t see what the time was. But the IC was submitted to the officer.”

PKR’s Plan-B candidate Ganapathy Ponnusamy arrived at the nomination centre at around 10am. He approached the EC officials to be nominated.

Ganapathy withdrew his nomination after he was told by the EC official that Tan’s nomination was accepted.

Although Razali and Yew raised their objections, the returning officer confirmed that she will be able to contest.

Yew expressed his sympathy for Tan but stressed that the returning officer should follow the rules and regulations.

“Anyway, bringing your identity card is something very basic. We raised our objections, and so did PAS. Since the returning officer accepted (Tan’s nomination), we will pass this matter to (our party’s) legal department.”

According to Yew, Tan's MyKad was produced at 10.11am.

“She entered (the nomination centre) around 9.30am and I glanced at my watch when her IC was sent. It was 10.11am.

“I asked the officer why it was accepted. He replied that he will accept as long as she looks the same as the one on the IC.”

Meanwhile, Razali said he would accept the decision by EC, which he described as an "independent body".

He added that it was "common sense" for all the Malaysians to bring their MyKad, and the candidate should obey the law and show a good example.

“How can a person who wants to be a representative don’t even know how to follow the rules."

Catch Malaysiakini's live updates on Nomination Day here

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