Abdul Karim explains his tiff with Dr Teo

August 3, 2012

TICKED OFF: A file photo of the commotion during the EC question and answer session on Wednesday.

KOTA SAMARAHAN: Assistant Youth Development Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the commotion between him and PKR representative Dr Michael Teo during the Election Commission (EC) question and answer session on Wednesday started after he was irked by the way Dr Teo asked questions.

He felt that Dr Teo should not have made such a sweeping statement implicating and accusing the Army and EC of being unfair in the conduct of the election when he was supposed to ask questions on matters he was unclear about.

“I feel it is a question and answer session whereby you put forward your questions to EC if you have any queries but don’t make a sweeping statement.

“I was there when he said when EC conduct postal voting at a camp the ballot box was kept in the army camp after the voting was over. We don’t trust the commander we never know what is happening inside there and when you open the ballot box all the votes go to BN”.

“This to me is wild so I told him that if he doesn’t know the procedure he should asked EC how it was done instead of hurling wild accusations. I told him not to ask stupid questions and something like that but he straight away thought that I was calling him stupid which was not the case”.

“In fact I have the full respect for him and I did not regard him as stupid but it was the manner he had asked questions because you don’t assume, don’t imply and don’t make accusations like that,” he said.

Abdul Karim, who is Assistant Housing Minister and Asajaya assemblyman, told reporters this whey clarifying the incident during the EC briefing session at a leading hotel here on Wednesday.

During the incident, Abdul Karim apparently lost his temper after Dr Teo continued to say that ballot boxes should not be left unattended at the army camp after the voting was over because anything could happen to them.

“This shows that he was ignorant of the procedures so I suggested that he should ask EC how voting in an army camp was done because as far as we know the normal procedure is after the voting time was over the ballot box will be sealed and taken away by returning officers and kept in police cells.

“They are not being left unattended in the army camps. If they are left with the army just like that then there are reasons for everyone to be doubtful.

“Not just among the opposition but also all parties, including us,” he said.