MIC vice-president C. Sivarraajh is ineligible to contest the Cameron Highlands by-election on January 26 as he is implicated in corrupt practices to win the parliamentary seat during the May general election, said the Election Commission.

In a statement today, EC chairman Azhar Azizan Harun said the decision was made after referring to legal advisers on the former MP’s eligibility for Cameron Highlands.

He said that Sivarraajh was also barred from registering as a voter or candidate for any election for a period of five years from December 13, 2018.

“The Election Commission will now take appropriate steps, as provided for under existing election acts and laws,” Azhar said in the statement.

The Election Court had declared that Barisan Nasional’s (BN) victory in Cameron Highlands in the 14th general election was null and void after deciding that corrupt practices had been taken to influence the voters there.

The court said it found voters were induced to vote for Sivarraajh, but added that the latter was not guilty of bribing them and was qualified to be a candidate to contest again.

The Malaysian Insight had contacted Sivarraajh’s office and was told that he would not be issuing any statements on the EC’s decision for the time being.

Sivarraajh previously insisted he did not give any money to Orang Asli voters as inducement for their support.

The MIC man had polled 10,307 votes to win the seat with a majority of 597 votes in a five-cornered contest in GE14. The other candidates were M. Manogaran of DAP (who secured 9,710 votes); Wan Mahadir Wan Mahmud of PAS (3,587 votes); Mohd Tahir Kassim of Berjasa (81 votes), and B. Suresh Kumar of PSM (680 votes).

Manogaran, 59, filed an election petition on June 4 seeking a court order to declare the election null and void for violation of provisions in the Election Offences Act 1954.

Polling for the Cameron Highlands by-election is on January 26. Early voting will be on January 22.