KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 – Candidates or Malaysian citizens who are not happy with the 13th general election (GE13) results should not stage street demonstrations to show their protest because they can do so by filing their petitions at the High Court.
“The people have the right to challenge the general election results, but through legal channel. Do not go to the streets to demonstrate and tell the whole world that they reject the general election,” said Election Commission (EC) deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar.
He said this when interviewed during a talk show, ‘Hello Malaysia’, produced by BernamaTV and broadcast by Astro last night. Wan Ahmad said candidates could file their protest over the election process at the High Court within 21 days after the gazetting of the election results by EC.
He said the EC expected to get the GE13 results gazetted in two weeks.
He said the petition could be filed at the High Court in their respective states and would be settled within six months.
“If they are still not happy with the High Court’s decision, they can file an appeal at the Federal Court,” he added.
Wan Ahmad said more than 30 petitions were filed to protest the 2004 election results and 40 in the 1999 general election. During the 2008 general election, there were only 26 petitions, despite the political tsunami.
Wan Ahmad said the election petition could be filed on grounds of corruption or misconduct and non-compliance with election laws and regulations.
BERNAMA
