KUALA LUMPUR: A bipartisan parliamentary group wants the Election Offences Act 1954 to be amended to include provisions regarding the use of government resources and machinery for election campaigns.
“Amend the Election Offences Act 1954 (EOA), which serves as the principal legislation governing the conduct of elections. One of the key reforms that would strengthen electoral integrity, good governance and anti-corruption measures is the inclusion of provisions regulating the use of government resources and machinery during the election campaign period,” said Shah Alam MP Azli Yusof who spoke to the media after a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia (APPGM) on Integrity, Governance, and Anti-Corruption (IGAR) on Wednesday(July 16).
Azli also called for the powers of the Election Commission (EC) to be strengthened to enable it to enforce electoral laws more effectively.
“The EC should be empowered to issue compound fines for certain electoral offences, such as campaigning on polling day, and to order the removal of campaign materials, including social media posts, that breach electoral regulations,” he said.
Azli said this is because currently the enforcement powers only lie with the police.
He said the reform of electoral regulations and laws was essential ahead of the 16th General Elections.
"Free and fair elections are the foundation of a mature, transparent and accountable democracy.
"Their purpose is not to give an advantage to any political party, but rather to ensure that every stage of the electoral process is conducted fairly, freely and impartially, while strengthening public confidence in the democratic system and ensuring that the mandate expressed through the ballot box genuinely reflects the will of the people,” he said.
Therefore, he said reform of the electoral legal framework is essential to restore public confidence in the conduct and administration of elections.
