GEORGE TOWN, Oct 15 — The two DAP elected representatives from Melaka and Negri Sembilan detained for their alleged links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), will remain as assemblymen.
Election Commission (EC) chairman Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun said an elected representative could only be disqualified from being an assemblyman or Member of Parliament if sentenced to one year in jail or fined no less than RM2,000 or both.
“An elected representative should be charged, tried, convicted of an offence and sentenced but if there is an appeal, we must wait until the appeal process is completed in court after which a decision will be taken.
“Therefore, the detention of the two by the police will not result in them being disqualified as assemblymen,” he told reporters after attending a Democracy Forum at Universiti Sains Malaysia today.
He said police detention was not a conviction and the EC would follow existing rules to determine the credibility of an assemblyman.
On Oct 10, seven individuals, including the two, Melaka exco member and Gadek assemblyman G. Saminathan, and Seremban Jaya assemblyman P. Gunasekaran, were detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (SOSMA) for suspected links to the LTTE terror group.
Another arrest on Oct 13 involved five more individuals including a teacher including a teacher for allegedly promoting, supporting, channelling funds to the LTTE and being in possession of materials related to the group’s cause.
The latest arrests have brought the total number of those detained in connection with the LTTE since last Thursday to 12. — Bernama
