KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 — The Election Commission (EC) should hold an inquiry to verify allegations that military voters were illegally shifted to constituencies of four senior Barisan Nasional leaders before the 14th general election, said DAP’s Lim Kit Siang.

Citing a related report by former auditor-general Tan Sri Ambrin Buang, the Iskandar Puteri MP said there were indications of collusion between EC officials and the Defence Ministry that pointed to “flagrant  abuse of power” and corruption of the democratic process by the Najib administration.

The allegations involve the transfer of military voters to the constituencies of then defence minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein; Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi; Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob; and Datuk Seri Dr. S. Subramaniam.

“The Ambrin audit report had also reported EC officials were complicit in aiding the ministry in the transfer of military voters to camps built in Bera (Pahang), Segamat (Johor), Paloh (Johor) and Hutan Melintang (Perak) in time to be eligible to vote in the GE14,” Lim said in a statement.

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“Zahid, Hishammuddin and Ismail Sabri should state whether they welcome an inquiry as to whether their election was unlawful, undemocratic, and should therefore be declared null and void,” he said.

Up until the 14th general election, military votes had typically favoured the ruling government.

Save for former MIC president Subramaniam, all three former ministers retained their seats in last year’s general election.

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Lim also asked Hishammuddin to clarify his “cryptic” remark about not throwing stones if one lives in glass houses, when he challenged Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu and the latter’s deputy, Liew Chin Tong, to prove that the Umno leader benefited from land swap deals struck when he was the defence minister.

“As far as I am aware, both Mohamad Sabu and Liew Chin Tong have not made any allegation that Hishammuddin had personally benefited financially.

“Hishammuddin should explain himself , which does not appear to be  a declaration of innocence, and clearly a statement that his father, Tun Hussein Onn, known for his uncompromising stand against corruption, would have approved,” he said.