By Rahmah Ghazali
UPDATED PETALING JAYA: PKR supreme council member Zaid Ibrahim will take legal action against the Election Commission over the Hulu Selangor by-election.
Seaking at a press conference at his residence here this morning, the prominent lawyer-turned-politician accused the EC of violating its constitutional duty.
He alleged that the commission had allowed intimidation, false information as well as unfair and illegal electoral practices by the Barisan Nasional machinery during the campaign.
Zaid also said he will file an election petition against the “blatant bribery” by BN workers and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.
“The conduct of the prime minister was shameless and without precedent. More importantly, it is illegal. We have witnessess who are willing to come forward,” he said.
An election petition needs to be filed within 28 days of the election result.
Utusan on the hit list as well
Meanwhile, the former law minister, who founded the country's biggest law firm, is also training his legal guns on Umno-owned Malay daily, Utusan Malaysia, for calling him a “kaki botol” (alcoholic).
“I was never an alcoholic. Whatever (alcohol) I consumed was no more than what (former premier Dr) Mahathir Mohamad and other Umno leaders had consumed,” he said.
Zaid reiterated that EC should not have allowed such a “malicious” campaign.
From the word go on nomination day (April 17), Umno leaders, including Mahathir, zeroed in on Zaid's “un-Islamic traits”, accusing him of being an alcoholic and gambler.
Umno had hoped that an attack based on religion would sway the Malays, who form the majority of the electorate.
Zaid had admitted to drinking in the past, but said he has since repented.
In Sunday's by-election, Zaid was defeated by BN's P Kamalanathan by a majority of more than 1,700 votes.
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