Anwar withdraws suit against EC for not allowing him to vote

PUTRAJAYA: PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has today withdrawn his suit against the Election Commission (EC) for not allowing him to vote during the by-election in Permatang Pauh in 2015.
The case which was supposed to be heard today for mention had been withdrawn after lawyer Shahid Adli Kamaruddin, who represents Anwar, notified the court that a notice to discontinue had been filed.
Shahid Adli said the the suit was withdrawn as Anwar had received a full pardon from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Muhammad V.
Anwar filed the suit on Feb 10, 2015. He reportedly said at the time the action was to ensure that prisoners would still be allowed to vote during elections.
The High Court had dismissed the originating summon by Anwar, who was still behind bars then and was not allowed to vote.
In his summon writ and statement of claim filed on May 6, 2015, Anwar named the EC and its chairman the Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof as well as the government as defendants.
Anwar, who was incarcerated for five years for sodomy, claimed that he had registered as a voter before the Federal Court upheld the conviction and sentenced him on Feb 10, 2015.
He claimed that the first and second defendant told the media that he could not vote as he was behind bars. He also alleged that he wrote to the EC to clarify whether he could vote but it went unanswered.