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KUALA LUMPUR (Malaysia): The Dewan Rakyat passed the Constitution (Amendment) Bill with more than two-thirds majority, with the Opposition MPs boycotting.
The Bill seeks to extend the retirement age of Election Commission (EC) members from 65 to 66.
Since the amendment involves the Federal Constitution, a block voting was carried out after 16 opposition MPs, led by Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang, staged a walkout at about 3.15pm in protest against the Bill.
Except for Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (Keadilan - Permatang Pauh), Abdul Fatah Haron (PAS - Rantau Panjang) and Ismail Noh (PAS - Pasir Mas) who were not present in the hall, the MPs walked out before Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz replied to debate with regards to the amendment.
Earlier, in tabling the Bill for a second reading, Nazri said seeking to extend the retirement age of EC members was in accordance with the Government's move to extend the retirement ages of the judiciary.
He said the extension covered the EC chairman, his deputy and five other members.
He noted that the Government had approved the extension of the retirement ages of High Court, Appeals Court and Federal Courts judges from 65 to 66 years in 2005.
*The appointment process of EC members is similar to that of judges.
*Article 122b and 125 of the Federal Constitution cited that the retirement age of judges and EC members is 65.
*In line with the extension of the retirement ages of public service officials from 55 to 56 years old, Article 125 of the Federal Constitution has been amended in this Bill to provide an extension of the retirement age of EC officials to 66 years old once the Bill is enforced,? he said.
On the arrest of several people outside Parliament House, Nazri said the authorities had received information that some outsiders might go to Parliament to cause disturbances.
"The police are doing the legitimate thing. It's only the opposition members who are trying to justify their actions by walking out of the House.
"They know that they will lose if a general election is called.
"So they want to find a reason to show as if something is not right with the Election Commission," he said.
Lim had questioned the need to rush the Bill, which he said might raise suspicions about the country's electoral process.
He said the DAP would be filing an application at the High Court today to revise a magistrate's court order that prohibited a gathering at Parliament House Tuesday.
He said the act of the police in arresting several people in the Parliament compound was in contempt of Parliament.
He said the MPs had staged a walkout to protest against the Bill, which did not have any electoral reform, and the arrests in the Parliament building.?
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