THE opposition’s motion to challenge the Election Commission’s (EC) new rule requiring police permits for walkabouts was today rejected by the Dewan Rakyat speaker.

The motion was filed by Tanjung Karang MP Noh Omar.

Deputy Speaker Nga Kor Ming, who was presiding over the session, said the motion was rejected as it failed to provide three reasons to retract this rule.

“Tan Sri speaker (Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof) has received the motion from Tg Karang and Tg Karang was given the opportunity to debate.

“However, because it failed to fulfil the orders of the chambers, the motion was not accepted.”

Nga said the issue of the permit requirement was a police matter, not the EC, hence the opposition’s stance does not hold water.

In his remarks earlier, Noh had said the motion had to be debated urgently as it involved the interest of the people.

He said the motion ran counter to the Election Offences Act that required new rules to be debated in the Dewan Rakyat and approved by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong before it was enforced.

However, he said the Dewan Rakyat had been bypassed those rules.

Noh, who is former urban wellbeing, housing and local government minister, added that law minister Liew Vui Keong had confused the house with an earlier response, whereby he cited Section 24(b) of the Election Offences Act that is not linked to the walkabout.

Section 24(b) of the Election Offences Act stated a candidate or election agent may hold, convene or organise any open public meeting, public rally, public display or entertainment; or give any open public address or open public lecture, in the constituency after approval from the district police.

Nga later said according to the letter from the speaker, the police will not enforce the new rule in the Tg Piai by-election.

Meanwhile, in a press conference, Noh said although the police decision to not enforce the rule was welcomed, Liew’s answer wass contradictory and had confused the House.

“However we thank the inspector-general of police as we wanted the rule to be retracted.

“We hope the new rule is retracted with immediate effect because there are only two days left for the campaign.”

He said this showed the government had been flip-flopped on its decision.

Of the 562 permits issued for the Tg Piai election as of yesterday, 101 were for walkabouts. – November 14, 2019.