Move to let SPR members stay till 66

Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz says the amendment is to allow EC members to serve until 66


V. Vasudevan and Anis Ibrahim

New Straits Times

TAN Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman may be able to continue as Election Commission (EC) chairman if a constitutional amendment to extend the retirement age for commission members to 66 is passed in record time.

Rashid, 65, can continue in his post if the bill becomes law before his retirement on Dec 31.

For this to happen, everything has to move fast.

First, the Dewan Rakyat has to pass the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2007 which was tabled for first reading by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz yesterday.

The Dewan Negara will then have to endorse the bill equally fast before it is presented to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for consent. Only then can the bill be gazetted and become law.

The bill's second and third reading have been fixed for Dec 11.

However, Nazri said the amendment would be academic in Rashid's case if the prime minister elected to extend his term on contract.

"It is up to the prime minister," he said.

Nazri said the amendment to Article 114 of the Constitution was to streamline the retirement age for EC members.

"Government servants now retire at 56 years while for judges, it has been extended from 65 to 66.

"The amendment is proposed to allow members of the Election Commission to also serve until 66," he added.

With the amendment, the Public Service Commission will be the only agency where the retirement age is set at 65.

Nazri said the new retirement age would apply only to EC members appointed after the law came into force but a serving member could opt to retire at either 65 or 66.

"Existing members, including the chairman, are allowed to choose when they want to retire -- whether at the existing retirement age of 65 or the new one at 66.

"We cannot force them to retire at 66 if they have already made plans for their retirement, so we're giving them the option."

As to why the date for the second reading of the bill had been set in advance unlike other bills, Nazri said it was because it involved an amendment to the Constitution.

"Such an amendment requires a two-third approval from members in the house. We have to give notice to all members to be present. That's why the date has been fixed earlier."