A local council officer today dispelled reports that local government enforcement officers are being prepped for deployment in Election Commission (EC) monitoring teams in the run-up to a general election to be called soon.

“It was just a meeting of the election secretariat. Two members from each local council are part of it. We met at De Palma (Hotel) on Sept 14,” Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) licensing and enforcement director Zulkurnain Che Ali told Malaysiakini.

Zulkurnain, who attended the meeting on behalf of MPSJ, confirmed that it did take place, but not with the EC proper.

Nothing was mentioned at the meeting between local government officers and a deputy secretary of the election secretariat about preparing enforcement teams for election monitoring.

He explained that the EC could only plan and activate the election monitoring teams if and when Parliament or a state assembly was dissolved.

“It was just a briefing on normal matters. More like a short course,” Zulkarnain said when asked if the meeting was to plan for the deployment of local government officers for the EC monitoring teams.

However, beyond describing the discussion as “normal matters”, he declined to divulge the specifics of what was discussed at the session.

Impending polls

Unconfirmed reports abounded last week about a meeting between the Election Commission (EC) and local government top brass on preparations to activate local enforcement officers for election enforcement teams.

Several parties are even claiming that a number of individuals have already been appointed by the EC as returning officers, with the commission preparing for a general election.

This followed reports that several local councils had to postpone their meetings when mayors and presidents of local councils, as well as senior department heads, were said to have been summoned by the EC to discuss preparations for impending elections.

The reports immediately fueled speculation that the commission was gearing up for an election soon, thereby raising expectations of a snap general election, perhaps as early as November.

Attempts made to verify the matter with city mayors, municipal and town council heads, as well as with other local council enforcement division heads were unsuccessful.

Local councillors contacted about the matter said they had no information of the alleged meeting with the EC, beyond the fact that it led to the postponement of their council meetings as top local government officials had to attend it.

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