Bersih has expressed concerned about the legitimacy and integrity of the upcoming by-election for the Sungai Kandis state seat in Selangor if the current six Election Commission (EC) commissioners remain in their positions.

“We hold the six commissioners responsible for their complicit role in the failure to conduct a clean, free and fair 14th general election as proven by blatant evidence of fraud and mismanagement.

“Although the then EC chairperson Hashim Abdullah had opted for early retirement, we must not put aside the fact that the other six commissioners are equally incompetent and not qualified to conduct elections and had manipulated the 14th general election in bad faith,” said its steering committee in a press statement this afternoon.

Reiterating its call for the six to resign, the electoral watchdog said if the commissioners refused to do so, a tribunal for their removal must be initiated in accordance with the Federal Constitution.

“We would also like to reiterate that the appointment of new EC chairperson and commissioners with integrity, impartiality and independence from party politics and expertise on electoral matters must be done as soon as possible.

“These steps are urgent and crucial to restore public confidence before the Sungai Kandis by-election which will be held within months to come,” it added.

The Sungai Kandis seat fell vacant following the death of its incumbent Mat Shuhaimi Shafie from PKR on Monday due to lymphoma cancer.

Shuhaimi served two terms as the Sri Muda assemblyperson before winning the Sungai Kandis seat in last month's polls with 23,998 votes in a four-cornered fight.