Parti Rakyat Keadilan advisor Anwar Ibrahim explained the decision by the opposition to boycott the Batu Talam state by-election in a press conference this morning.

He said that the Election Commission must immediately clean up the electoral rolls of flawed registration.

He also urged Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to ensure a review of the election laws so that a fair, clean and transparent election could be held.

PAS and PKR were boycotting the by-election in protest against the discrepancies in the election laws which the Election Commission had failed to rectify.

The by-election on Jan 28 will pit Barisan Nasional's Abdul Aziz Kiram, 47 against Independent candidate Ng Chee Pang, a 21-year-old trader.

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