Dr M questions 10-day notice requirement for GE14 ceramah
GE14 | There would be only two days of campaigning if the police were to impose a 10-day notice for ceramahs by candidates who are not contesting in a given constituency, said Harapan chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“There are only 13 days left from today until polling day.
“If we have to submit a 10-day notice, that would mean we will only be left with two more days to campaign,” Mahathir said in a video posted on his official Facebook page this morning...
GE14 | There would be only two days of campaigning if the police were to impose a 10-day notice for ceramahs by candidates who are not contesting in a given constituency, said Harapan chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“There are only 13 days left from today until polling day.
“If we have to submit a 10-day notice, that would mean we will only be left with two more days to campaign,” Mahathir said in a video posted on his official Facebook page this morning.
Mahathir was responding to a reported remark by Perak police chief Hasnan Hassan that candidates or their agents could apply to the district police headquarters for a permit to hold their ceramahs, and that their applications would be processed almost immediately.
Hasnan said the permits issued under Section 24B(4) of the Election Offences Act 1954 were necessary to prevent clashes between rivalling political parties.
At the same time, online portal Free Malaysia Today also quoted Hasnan as saying that candidates who wished to campaign in other constituencies should instead submit a 10-day notice as required under Section 9(1) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.
Mahathir further described the move as yet another tactic by caretaker prime minister Najib Abdul Razak to hinder Harapan’s campaign.
“This is just another restriction that Najib hopes will bring victory to them (BN),” said Mahathir, who will be contesting in Langkawi, but has been leading Harapan’s ongoing ceramah sessions nationwide even before the nomination day tomorrow.
‘No such requirement’
Human rights group Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram), meanwhile, said that the Election Offences Act 1954 has no restrictions against candidates from campaigning in another constituency.
“The claim of having such a rule by the Perak police chief can only be described as a folly as it is not stated as such by the law…
“Any and all political party would be receiving help from their party members which would also be candidates in their own right,” Suaram’s executive director Sevan Doraisamy said in a statement.
“A free and fair election is the foundation of any democratic nation, and an election would not be free and fair if the state were to impose harsh conditions on political candidates and their supporters for their campaigns,” he stressed.
Congratulations to Hasnan. He joins the long list of Umno compliant civil servants that have waded into imposing restrictions from Malaysians exercising their ringt of a free and fair elections guaranteed in our constitution. The police had five years to plan security for this election. What have they done? Was this enforced in earlier elections or is this a new restriction tailor made to deter the opposition in GE14? Have the police the courage to enforce it on PAS & BN campaigns because so far the many restrictions seem targeted at Harapan. The ROS, the EC, the police are they all at it? Mahathir is right. If Hasnan is taken seriously the opposition has only two days left to campaign. Is that what it is all about?
Congratulations to Hasnan. He joins the long list of civil servants that have waded into imposing restrictions from Malaysians exercising their ringt to a free and fair elections guaranteed in our constitution. Thepolice had five years to plan security for the election. What have they done? Was this ten day notice enforced in earlier elections or is this a new restriction tailor made to deter the opposition in GE14? Have the police the courage to enforce it on PAS & BN campaigns because so far the many restrictions seem targeted at Harapan. The ROS, the EC, the police are they all at it? Mahathir is right. If Hasnan is taken seriously the opposition has only two days left to campaign. Is that what it is all about?
Congratulations to Hasnan. He joins the long list of civil servants that have waded into imposing restrictions from Malaysians exercising their ringt to a free and fair elections guaranteed in our constitution. Thepolice had five years to plan security for the election. What have they done? Was this ten day notice enforced in earlier elections or is this a new restriction tailor made to deter the opposition in GE14? Have the police the courage to enforce it on PAS & BN campaigns because so far the many restrictions seem targeted at Harapan. The ROS, the EC, the police are they all at it? Mahathir is right. If Hasnan is taken seriously the opposition has only two days left to campaign. Is that what it is all about?
Report this comment
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
This action cannot be undone.