Malaysian PM to set up body to oversee Election Commission

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak today said he would set up a special committee comprising ruling and opposition lawmakers to oversee the Election Commission in order to allay concerns over its impartiality during the recent polls.
The prime minister's move comes in the wake of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim questioning the victory of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition in the May 5 general elections.
Najib said the government would cooperate with the commission to further improve the credibility of elections in the country.
"With this move, it is hoped that the impartiality of the Election Commission is no longer questioned and that the confidence of the people towards the Commission can be strengthened," Najib was quoted as saying by state-owned Bernama news agency .

Najib urged all quarters not to make wild allegations that are driven by self-interest.
He said the commission was not a government agency or department but was a special body set up based in accordance with provisions under the Federal Constitution.
Najib-led Barisan retained its 56-year hold on power by winning a simple majority of 129 seats in the 222-seat Parliament in a knife-edge election last month while the opposition alliance led by Anwar won 77 seats.
Anwar has alleged widespread fraud in the polls and said he would contest the result till the Election Commission explains all the alleged irregularities.