Jailed Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has sent a legal notice to Election Commission chairman Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof to enforce his right to vote in the Permatang Pauh parliamentary by-election on May 7.
Anwar, who filed the notice through his lawyers N Surendran and Latheefa Koya on Thursday, said that he was exercising his rights under the Federal Constitution.
The two lawyers pointed out that the right to vote was sacrosanct in a democracy. “An eligible voter must never be denied the right to cast his vote under any circumstances,” they said.
They were commenting on Abdul Aziz claiming in a statement on Wednesday that Anwar had no right to vote in the by-election.
The EC Chairman, said Anwar’s lawyers, had chosen to disregard the clear provisions of the Federal Constitution. “Article 119(3)(a) read with 119(4)(b) indisputably establish Anwar’s eligibility to vote as he had registered to vote before being imprisoned,” they said.
The EC’s denial of Anwar’s civil and constitutional right was unacceptable, they said, and irresponsible and in breach of their statutory duties. FMT
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