Parliament committee says will appoint next EC chairman transparently by consulting Dewan Rakyat first

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — The Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) on Human Rights, Elections and Institutional Reform chairman William Leong Jee Keen today said that the appointment of the next Election Commission (EC) chairman will be conducted openly and in consultation with Parliament.

Leong said that this is in line with the calls made by electoral watchdog Bersih and 80 other non-governmental organisations, think tanks and prominent members of society for transparency in the appointment process.

“The PSSC is prepared to convene a meeting to review the candidates to be considered for the position of EC chair, and to submit our recommendations to the government and Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” he said in a statement here.

Leong acknowledged that a transparent and consultative appointment process of chairmen of public bodies like the EC is vital for a healthy and stable democracy as well as to instil public confidence in the institutions.

“Institutions that are pivotal to our democracy must function — and must be seen to function — independently and free from political influence.

“The Madani Government under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has proven its commitment to institutional reforms in their ongoing efforts to set up an independent parliamentary service, create the office of Ombudsman, enact freedom of information laws, review the role of the attorney general, improve the electoral process, and others,” he said.

Leong said that PSSC will continue to work with the government on this, but noted that these reforms involve structural and legal changes that require time.

“However, the vacancy of the role of EC chair comes at a critical juncture. As noted in Bersih’s open letter of May 9, ‘the EC plays the critical role of regulating the conduct of elections, reviewing and revising the electoral roll, and delineating or redrawing constituencies.’”

“The EC’s role will be particularly important in the coming months and years as they oversee the delimitation of constituencies under Article 113(2) and Schedule 13 of the Federal Constitution, which could impact our electoral process for the next decade and more,” he said.

Leong also said that engaging Parliament, via PSSC, in the process of appointing the next EC chairman will show that the unity government is committed to delivering real, immediate, impactful and long-term structural reforms.