The Election Commission is to adopt "a friendly approach" in enforcing the rules during the campaign in the Merlimau state by-election, nomination for which is on Saturday and polling on March 6.

EC deputy chairperson Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said today three enforcement teams would be formed to monitor the campaign, right from nomination to polling.

He said each of the teams would be headed by an EC officer and comprise representatives from the police, local authority and the contesting candidates.

"The candidates' representatives cannot participate in the election campaign," he told reporters at the Jasin district and land office.

Wan Ahmad said that in the event a contesting party violated regulations, for example in the hanging of banners, the candidate's representative in the team would be instructed to remove the banner within 24 hours.

If the banner was not removed, the EC would do so with the help of the police, he added.

"When a party or candidate is asked to remove a banner, it is usually not done. They may be embarrassed to do so but no party has put up a banner again after it has been removed by the EC," he said.

He also said that another friendly approach the EC had adopted was the relaxation of a rule to allow a contesting party, for example PAS, to use the pictures of leaders of its political partners, such as DAP and PKR, in its campaign material.

"The EC is fair to all quarters. As such, we ask the contesting parties and candidates to adhere to the rules. They must stop campaigning once the campaign period ends.

"We want to ensure a by-election free from negative elements," he said.

Wan Ahmad said the EC had asked for a RM900,000 budget to conduct the Merlimau by-election.

The Merlimau seat fell vacant following the death of the assemblyperson Mohamad Hidhir Abu Hassan, 54, of the BN, on Jan 20.

- Bernama