An official reply from the Conference of Malay Rulers has confirmed that the Election Commission (EC) had recruited several Puteri Umno members as 'temporary administrative assistants' but also said their employment has been terminated.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said the information was contained in a reply to a memorandum that the party had submitted to the Rulers' Council on Sept 17.

Abdul Hadi, who is also parliamentary opposition leader, said he received the letter this morning. Copies were distributed during a press conference at the Parliament lobby this afternoon.

In the reply (left), Keeper of the Ruler's Seal Ibrahim Engku Ngah said the issue had been raised for deliberation during the Rulers' pre-council meeting held on Tuesday.

"The King and the Rulers have taken note of the memorandum. From the official information received by the Rulers' Council, seven part-time administrative were appointed," he said in the letter.

There were two each from Kedah and Malacca and one each from Kuala Lumpur, Kelantan and Selangor.

"They were selected from 45 candidates named by Puteri Umno chief (Azalina Othman). However, their appointments have (since) been terminated by the EC," the letter stated.

Leaked letter

The arrangement was exposed after PAS leaders revealed that the EC had agreed to recruit Puteri Umno members as temporary administrative assistants for the next general election, effective June 1.

Party leaders backed their claim with a copy of a 'leaked' letter sent by EC deputy secretary Patimah Mohd Yusof in May to all state election officers, asking them to adhere to "normal" procedures in hiring Puteri Umno members as temporary administrative assistants.

She also wanted them to treat her letter as "secret", and instructed that it not to be kept in an open file of the officers (see right)

PAS also circulated a copy of another letter entitled 'Employment candidates to the EC', sent by Azalina to the EC chief in April, together with a list of Puteri Umno candidates.

Claim 'corroborated'

Commenting on the development today, Abdul Hadi claimed that the reply was corroboration of PAS' assertion that the EC had recruited members from a political party.

He said he would pursue the matter with the Rulers' Council, explaining that action is necessary to "clear the image of the EC".

PAS had sought the intervention of the Rulers' Council because the King appoints the EC chief on the advice of the country's nine sultans, as stipulated by the Federal Constitution.

Its memorandum had therefore called for the EC chief Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman to be sacked, following up on the party's demand on Sept 14 for him and secretary Wan Ahmad Nor to resign.

PAS member of Parliament for Pokok Sena Mahfuz Omar, who was present, pointed out that there was a discrepancy between the EC's reply to the Rulers' Council and the one sent to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Dr Mohamed Zahir Ismail earlier.

Mahfuz claimed that, in the reply to the speaker - who had also sought clarification after the matter was raised in the House - the EC said it had "withdrawn instructions" to recruit the candidates.

"In other words, this amounts to the EC saying it had not recruited any Puteri Umno members. The confirmation received from the Rulers' Council now shows that the commission had lied to the House," alleged Mahfuz, who had unsuccessfully moved an emergency motion on the matter.

On Sept 8, malaysiakini quoted Abdul Rashid as saying that he had directed that recruitment be stopped after PAS MPs raised the issue during the previous sitting of Parliament in June.

On Sept 16, he denied any hidden agenda behind the move, saying he had given instructions that the intake should not be done under the name of any political party.

On Sept 29, when the matter attracted hot debate in the Dewan Rakyat, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor also defended the EC, claiming that it was only recruiting "unemployed and fresh undergraduates who coincidently are the wing's members".