Anwar Ibrahim sues EC over voting rights

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is currently serving a five-year jail sentence for his second sodomy conviction, has filed a suit against the Election Commission (EC) in his final bid to to be allowed to vote in the upcoming Permatang Pauh by-election.

According to Malay Mail Online, this matter was confirmed by Anwar's lawyer N. Surendran, who filed the suit this morning to seek a declaration that he is qualified to vote in the by-election, which will take place tomorrow, and in future elections.

"And Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is seeking compensation because his constitutional and legal rights have been violated," the report quoted him as saying.

The summon is filed against the EC, its chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof and the government of Malaysia.

Abdul Aziz had previously said the 67-year-old politician is not qualified to vote in the by-election according to Article 119(3) of the Federal Constitution.

Article 119(3) of the Federal Constitution states:

i) A person is disqualified for being an elector if on the qualifying date he is detained as a person of unsound mind or is serving a sentence of imprisonment;

ii) Before the qualifying date he has been convicted at any offense which makes him facing a death penalty or imprisonment with more than 12 months, and on the qualifying date the inmate has to undergo any punishment for that offense.

The by-election tomorrow will see four candidates, Barisan Nasional's Suhaimi Sabudin, PKR's Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Azman Shah Othman (Parti Rakyat Malaysia) and Salleh Isahak (Independent) vying for the seat which had been PKR's since 1998.