PAS' newly-minted Sri Serdang state assemblyperson Noor Hanim Ismail has flayed Election Commission deputy chairperson Wan Ahmad Wan Omar for suggesting that the photograph of a blackout at a polling station was staged, stating that it in fact happened in her constituency.

"It is clear that his preliminary observation and investigation together with his officers was very weak and is aimed at covering up the weaknesses in the electoral system and denying that the blackout actually happened," she said in a statement yesterday.

Noor Hanim said the photograph was taken by her counting agent and happened at in a room at Sekolah Kebangsaan Serdang where ballots for stream three were being counted.

"When it happened, our candidate representative had worked to supply flashlights to the room to ensure the counting process goes on smoothly.

"I also deny that there were journalists at the location because only the polling station supervisor, EC staff, candidate representative and police were on duty (there)," she said.

Wan Ahmad had called the photograph a "lie" pointing out that several individuals in the photograph were supposedly journalists and the EC staff counting the ballots supposedly did not wear EC's uniform, proving that it was "false".

EC uniforms

"How could he (Wan Ahmad) not recognise the grey uniform of EC's staff on that day. I am also curious how he could not recognise the boxes used for counting by the EC (as) the photograph clearly showed it had the EC logo on it," he said.

Noor Hanim urged the EC deputy to apologise for his haste in dismissing the photograph.

"I urge the EC, especially its deputy chairperson Wan Ahmad to apologise to all Malaysians for his mistake in issuing a statement without proper research and taking the issue raised by the rakyat for granted.

"EC as an official body to manage the elections must be seen as professional, fair, transparent and non-partisan," she said.