Tian Chua lodges police report against official
Minderjeet Kaur | April 28, 2018
PKR vice-president also criticises EC for not seeking advice from the Attorney-General on his eligibility.
Tian Chua with the police report he submitted against the returning officer who rejected his nomination as a candidate for Batu.
KUALA LUMPUR: Disqualified from contesting in Batu, PKR vice-president Tian Chua has lodged a police report against the returning officer Anwar Mohd Zain for rejecting a recent court decision.
Tian Chua said the action of the returning officer was biased and showed that the Election Commission was not carrying out its duties in a just and fair manner.
“It is a blatant violation of my right as a candidate and denies the rights of voters,” he said at the Sentul police station.
Tian Chua said his legal team had advised him to take immediate measures, beginning with the police report.
Tian Chua was disqualified from seeking re-election to a third term as MP for Batu.
A court case against Tian Chua, in which he was fined RM3,000 for insulting a policeman, was cited for the disqualification.
However, Tian Chua said that a High Court decision on an appeal in March clearly stated that he could contest in the general election or any elections conducted by the EC.
Earlier, he told FMT that the decision was an insult to the judicial system, and chided the EC officials for not seeking advice from the Attorney-General.
He also accused BN of wanting to use any possible means to reduce the chances of a Pakatan Harapan election victory.
The Federal Constitution disqualifies a person from standing as an election candidate for five years should he be convicted and sentenced to more than a year’s jail, or imposed a fine that is more than RM2,000.
On Feb 3 this year the High Court reduced the fine to RM2,000 as the offence did not involve any bodily harm.
Tian Chua said today’s EC decision would not stop him from campaigning against the Barisan Nasional in Batu. Polling takes place on May 9.
“I will urge Batu voters to vote against the BN government for using such tactics,” he said. “The ruling party is not competing fair and square. We must stop this unfair practice.”
The contest will now be between Gerakan vice-president Dominic Lau for BN against Azhar Yahya of PAS, and independent candidates Prabakaran Paramewaran and VM Panjamothy.
