GE14 | The Election Commission is trying to prohibit the use of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in all opposition campaign materials by imposing additional requirements, DAP claimed today.

DAP Federal Territory secretary Lim Lip Eng said EC chairperson Mohd Hashim Abdullah should have taken into consideration the May 9 polling date when he announced the additional requirements.

He pointed out that it was now just three days to nomination day and another two weeks to May 9 and as such, by now, most campaign materials had already been printed and were ready to be put up.

In a statement, Lim - who is DAP's Kepong candidate - cited the example of billboards put up by the caretaker federal territories minister Tengku Adnan Mansor in both Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

“He is neither the president nor the deputy president of the political party that he represents.

“Does Mohd Hashim or do the local authorities dare to take down Tengku Adnan’s billboards before nomination day?"

“The EC does not have to say it with so many restrictions. Just say it, ‘No photograph of Tun Dr Mahathir’. Why is the EC afraid?” asked Lim.

Yesterday, Mohd Hashim said the additional requirements were to ensure that campaign activities involving the contesting parties were peaceful and smooth and not confusing to voters.

“The EC calls on every candidate and the political party contesting, to avoid any element that can induce sedition, hostility and so on, in accordance with Section 4A of the Election Offences Act 1954.”

Strict conditions

The additional EC requirements for the use of the GE14 campaign materials include:

• The installation of campaign materials must have a permit for display purposes and the permit will be issued by the state election director subject to the terms and conditions stated under Section 24B (4) of the Election Offences Act 1954;
   
• Only pictures of two political party leaders, namely the president (or the equivalent) and deputy president (or the equivalent) (based on the use of the logo/symbol of the political party registered by the candidate during nomination day) can be used on campaign materials;
   
• Pictures of other officials of the contesting parties, other than the president (or the equivalent) and the deputy president (or the equivalent) are not permitted;
   
• Pictures of both political party leaders can be either combined or placed separately on campaign materials;
   
• Only a combination of the pictures of the party’s president (or the equivalent), the deputy president (or the equivalent), the party liaison chairperson (or the equivalent), the menteri besar/chief minister and candidates (based on the use of logo/symbol of political party registered by the candidate during the nomination day) is permitted to be used on campaign materials;
   
• Pictures of individuals holding party positions other than those mentioned above are not permitted;
   
• Candidates contesting for political parties and want to adopt the party’s logo/ symbol are required to ensure that the party’s logo/symbol is registered with the EC; and
   
• The logo/symbol of the political party of the candidate contesting and the logo/symbol of the component party registered as the coalition represented by the candidate are allowed to be displayed, either jointly or separately, at the constituency where the candidate is contesting.