KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 23): There is no necessity for a tribunal or a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to be set up to investigate the Election Commission (EC) over allegations of misconduct during the 14th general election (GE14), said the government.

This is because the tenures of EC deputy chairman Tan Sri Othman Mahmood and four commissioners have already been cut short following an internal discussion, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong told the Dewan Rakyat today.

"On the issues of redrawing of electoral boundaries, Form 14 (which officiates each final vote count) and phantom voters, these have been brought up as election petitions.

"Most of these election petitions have been brought to the courts," said Liew.

"I hope these cases can be addressed by the new EC chairman and the new commissioners… [but] I feel there is no immediate requirement to form a tribunal or a RCI for matters that are being deliberated by the courts and the new EC chairman," he added.

Liew was answering a question by Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka) on whether a tribunal or RCI will be conducted on the EC over the GE14 misconduct allegations.

Under the Clause (3) of Article 125 in the Federal Constitution, the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong could appoint a tribunal to determine the appointment status of an EC official under the advice of the Prime Minister.

On Oct 18, EC chairman Azhar Azizan Harun announced in the press statement the shortened tenure of Tan Sri Othman Mahmood, alongside the four EC commissioners — Datuk Md Yusop Mansur, Datuk Abdul Aziz Khalidin, Datuk Sulaiman Narawi and Datuk Leo Chong Cheong.

The move was reported as being part of a reform exercise within the institution.