PM doesn't interfere in EC business, says Nazri

 Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz says, contrary to popular belief, that the prime minister does not interfere in the work of the Election Commission (EC).

Nazri also claimed that the prime minister has no hand in the appointment of the EC's commissioners.

"The constitution states that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong appoints EC members after consulting the Council of Malay Rulers. There is no mention of the PM's role," Nazri (right) told an international forum on GE13 in Kuala Lumpur today.

He argued that as the constitution was silent on the role of the PM in the appointment of EC commissioners, this must be taken literally to mean that the premier has no say in the process.

To the best of his knowledge - in his eight years as the minister with oversight over the EC - Nazri said, the prime minister had not interfered in the commission's affairs, whatsoever.

Peaceful transition

Speaking at a session of the international forum organised by Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's office, Nazri also assured the opposition that should BN lose the mandate of the people the coalition would step down and peacefully hand over power.

"We will not stay one second more if we lose the mandate of the people," he promised.

Nazri said that like what happened in the opposition-ran states of Penang, Selangor and Kedah, once Pakatan became the clear winner, BN will hand over power to the party that got the mandate without much ado.

He also stressed that BN will not engage in the practice of buying MPs to shift the balance of power via any horse trading at the eleventh hour.

"We don't do that," he claimed.

This he said is unlike the opposition which he alleged tried to buy over BN MPs during the infamous September 16 plan by Anwar to try and overthrow BN's majority in Parliament.

Quizzed in the Q&A session on his cordial relationship with Anwar (left) who was his senior in college and why he did not discuss the opposition's concerns over the electoral process in a face to face instead of politicising the matter, Nazri said Anwar was the reluctant party.

"I am okay, he is my senior, he is the one who is saying that everything is not free and fair. I have been very clear with this administration's reform agenda.

"It is better to do things from the inside rather than shout from the outside."

Asked about former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed's statement yesterday that reelecting Najib would see Malaysia rise to greater heights, he brushed it aside.

"We all here believe in the freedom of expression, Mahathir can say what he wants to say, it does not concern me," answered the de-facto law minister.

Claim contested

Meanwhile, in an immediate reaction to Nazri's statement that the PM does not meddle in EC or the appointment of it's commissioners, Bersih co-chair S Ambiga who was a panelist in the next session of the forum, contested the Padang Rengas MP's claim.

She argued that it was "not correct" that the PM has no hand in appointing EC members despite the constitution prescribing that the Agong appoints commissoners after consulting with the Council of Malay Rulers.

Ambiga (right) pointed out that in Malaysia's system of constitutional monarchy, the recommendation of commissioner candidates comes from the government, led by the PM.

In the Malaysian system, the royals who ceremonially sat on the Council of Malay Rulers are also in turn advised by the various representatives of the duly elected civilian executives, MBs in Malay states, CMs in Sabah and Sarawak and the straits settlements and in the case of the Agong, the PM.