PAS today said that it will formally request the Conference of Malay Rulers to reconsider the appointment of top Election Commission (EC) officers, a decision arrived at yesterday after the party's central committee meeting.

This follows revelations made by the party yesterday of a "secret collusion" between the EC and Puteri Umno to appoint members of the wing to work with the commission during the general election.

PAS MP for Kuala Terengganu Syed Azman Syed Ahmad Nawawi said the party will be submitting a memorandum to the Rulers, expected to be done in the next two weeks.

"We want the Rulers to reconsider their appointment of the top EC officers," he said when met at Parliament lobby this morning. Constitutionally the Rulers appoint the top EC officers on the advise of the government.

Syed Azman also said the party will set up a special committee to deal with the alleged EC-Putri Umno collusion.

"The central committee decided yesterday to set up a committee for the specific purpose of looking into this collaboration between the EC and Umno," he said.

Syed Azman added that PAS has additional documents regarding the alleged collusion between the EC and the ruling party.

Handwritten correspondence between EC chairperson Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman, secretary Wan Ahmad Wan Omar and Puteri head Azalina Othman are alleged to expose Umno's 'conspiracy' to abuse and manipulate the EC for their benefit.

No more hearsay

Copies of the letters, which Syed Azman yesterday said were to be distributed to media organisations today, will instead be released tomorrow.

"Its not just hearsay anymore. We have solid evidence, and we will reveal even more documents in time, to testify that there is something fishy going on between the EC and Umno," he said.

Syed Azman said there were people who had even threatened him with the Official Secrets Act (OSA) in order to sidestep the issue of the alleged EC-Umno collusion.

The OSA provides for imprisonment (maximum sentence carries life imprisonment) or lesser penalties for the collection, possession or communication of official information, information that any government official can declare 'classified'.

"During the heated debate in Parliament yesterday on the issue, Second Finance Minister Jamaludin Jarjis warned that I could be charged under the OSA for the documents that we have. They did not discuss the wrongs committed, but instead focused on how we obtained the documents," Syed Azman said.

Protest note

Meanwhile, Pokok Sena PAS MP Mahfuz Omar said the party has also decided to go 'international' with the issue to expose the real processes of 'democracy' as it occurs in Malaysia.

Mahfuz said a protest note will be sent within the next two weeks not just to the EC but to international human rights organisations and international election organisations as well to inform them of these developments.

"We are doing this not to draw a negative picture of the country. This is simply to expose the lack of transparency, political independence and the failure of the EC to handle elections (properly) in this country," Mahfuz said.

He expressed his preference for the EC chairperson Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman to step down following the revelations by PAS.

"I think Abdul Rashid should resign. Anybody who claims to have any moral (principles) and self-dignity should not allow this to happen."