Derek Fernandez said it may be timely for Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia to remind the EC not to inconvience the elected representatives.
“Futhermore, there is no credible reason whatsover why hearings involving MPs are held when Parliament is in session, as the EC has two years to finish the process,” he told FMT.
The EC has until September 2018 to complete the exercise.
Fernandez, who is also a Petaling Jaya city councillor and an authority in administrative law, said the EC would have known before hand when the Dewan Rakyat would be in session.
He said this in response to Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran’s statement yesterday calling for the EC to stop the inquiries on the electoral re-delineations immediately as it should not clash with current parliamentary proceedings.
MPs, especially from the opposition, are involved as they have objected to the EC’s redelineation exercise.
Kulasegaran said the redelineation had far reaching implications for the people.
“Voters should not be denied their lawyers being present (at the EC hearings). They may be unsure about the procedure and process of objections.” he said.
Fernandez said the EC was subordinate to Parliament and should show some respect.
He said the EC proceedings should be telecast live like Selangor Selcat inquiries and open to the public instead of prohibiting recordings and limiting the public and media from attending.
“This is after all a public inquiry and not a secret society meeting,” he said.
He said it was both wrong and unlawful for the EC to prevent persons affected by the redrawing of boundaries to engage lawyers.
“These obstacles raise questions as to the fairness, transparency and impartiality of the process,” he said.
The EC has received 836 objections on the proposed redelineation for the Peninsula and Sabah as a result of gerrymandering and malapportionment of parliamentary and state seats in favour of certain parties.
It has also failed to give a satisfactory explanation or attend invitations to public forums as to why guidelines in the Federal Constitution to redraw equitable boundaries were not followed.