EC chairman to go (Updated)

PETALING JAYA: Tan Sri Mohd Hashim Abdullah will cut short his tenure as chairman of the Election Commission (EC) with effect from July 1.
This was notified by the EC corporate communication division in a statement today.
The commission said Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V has given his consent to the decision and Mohd Hashim was informed through a letter from the Comptroller of the Royal Household on June 7.
The decision was also informed to the Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad via an official letter on June 11.
Mohd Hashim, 64, joined the EC on Sept 5, 2014 before he was appointed as chairman on Jan 24, 2016.
Mohd Hashim's term was supposed to expire upon him attaining the age of 66, in accordance with Clause 3 Article 114 of the Federal Constitution.
His tenure has been linked with allegations of him being aligned to the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) administration, as well as manipulating the election to allow certain parties to win.
Mohd Hashim has denied such accusations, citing results in favour of Pakatan Harapan as an example of EC acting in a "fair and transparent" manner.