KANGAR: There is no need to set up a body to handle elections as the Election Commission (EC) has proven it is up to the task.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the EC was an independent body set up under parliament and a parliament select committee had been set up to improve the existing election system.
He said this when commenting on ex-EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman’s suggestion that the EC be given full independence to carry out its duties without sharing power with any agencies.
Local papers quoted Abdul Rashid as saying that the government should set up an independent body to ensure general elections could satisfy all parties.
Muhyiddin said, he was not sure what Abdul Rashid actually meant but the government was prepared for any suggestions and would consider them, if necessary.
He said, to date, the government did not see any need to set up a special body (as suggested by Abdul Rashid) because everything was running properly and the proposal of the parliament select committee had been scrutinised by the EC. — Bernama