Allocation announcements: EC will not interfere in campaigning process

The Election Commission (EC) will not interfere in the campaigning process undertaken by any political party at this point, said its chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Hashim Abdullah.

He said an official report can be submitted should there be any party that is not satisfied with the campaign.

"I do not want to comment. If you are not satisfied with the campaign, there is a procedure (that you can follow)," he told reporters after overseeing the final preparations at the Batu Kitang polling centre on Thursday.

Mohd Hashim was asked to comment whether the allocations announced by Barisan Nasional (BN) during the campaigning period had violated the Elections Offences Act 1954.

He stressed that the responsibility of the EC is to ensure that the voting process runs smoothly.

"This campaign season, the EC's duty is to carry out the election smoothly and we now need to make sure that items such as ballot papers, umbrella are enough.

"To those who are campaigning, they have their own manifesto. For the EC, if we interfere, then we are not EC anymore," he said.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi including the Sarawak state government had recently announced a number of allocations for the development of the state during the campaigning period.

Commenting on the preparation of the EC, Mohd Hashim said the EC was 100 percent prepared for the polling day on Saturday.