EXCLUSIVE | The government will form a tribunal to investigate various allegations plaguing the Election Commission.

This includes purported misconduct by the EC and some of its commissioners, particularly during the running of the last general election.

The move is seen as part of an effort to clean up the EC and put into place electoral reforms, and possibly remove some commissioners suspected of misconduct.

Sources indicated today that several former Federal Court judges would be appointed to sit on the tribunal to investigate the commission.

A source told Malaysiakini that a high-powered team has been formed by the Attorney-General's Chambers to assist the tribunal.

It is understood former solicitor-general II, Yusof Zainal Abiden, who has gone into private practice, and lawyer M Puravalen will be brought in as co-counsel to represent the chambers at the tribunal.

A tribunal has to be formed as election commissioners, like Federal Court judges, can only be removed by a tribunal. The commissioners are appointed until their retirement at age 66.

During the 14th general election, the EC was led by its then chairperson Hashim Abdullah. Hashim cut short his tenure, with permission from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and left on July 1. He was replaced by lawyer Azhar Harun this month.

The other commissioners are EC deputy chairperson Othman Mahmood, and members Mohd Yusop Mansor, Abdul Aziz Khaldin, Sulaiman Narawi, K Bala Singam and Leo Chong Cheong.

In August, electoral reform group Bersih urged Putrajaya to set up a tribunal to investigate the EC's alleged wrongdoings before and during GE14.

In a letter to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the group listed 10 of the commission's alleged wrongdoings, including gerrymandering and malapportionment to favour BN, deliberately holding polling in midweek to discourage voter turnout, and allowing only a short campaign period of 11 days.

"The members had not only sullied the EC's fairness, independence and integrity, but also violated the people's rights to chose a government as well as threatening the foundations of democracy,” then-Bersih acting chairperson Shahrul Aman Mohd Saari said.