Parties informed of walkabout permit rule since day one, says Liew

TG PIAI POLLS | PARLIAMENT | The new conditions to campaign in the Tanjung Piai by-election, including the permit requirement for walkabouts and house-to-house visits, were told to all contesting parties on the first day of campaigning.

De facto law minister Liew Vui Keong (photo) told the Dewan Rakyat today that the police had repeatedly explained the new rules to all contesting parties since nomination day on Nov 2. On Tuesday, Election Commission chairperson Azhar Azizan Harun had sent a reminder to the contesting parties.

Liew (Warisan-Batu Sapi) said the meeting with the police was also attended by election agents for each candidate in the six-cornered fight, and each party was informed to clearly state all campaigning activities in the permit application forms provided.

He also said that a reminder, especially on the walkabout and house-to-house permit rules, was again issued on Nov 9 during a meeting with the Pontian district police chief, campaign enforcement team, and representatives for each political party and independent candidates. A third reminder was issued on Monday.

“This (the new rules) were accepted and understood by representatives for each party and independent candidates, to be informed to their respective candidates and parties,” he said.

“The police have implied powers to set conditions for permits, under Section 40 of the Interpretation Acts 1948 and 1967, that the permit-issuing authority can set reasonable conditions, including conditions on peace and security to ensure campaigning activities by all parties proceed smoothly.”

Liew, who is also a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, was responding to a question by Azalina Othman Said (BN-Pengerang) seeking the government’s explanation on the new campaigning requirements.

Call to lift unpopular criteria 

Several lawmakers have raised the issue of the new conditions, with opposition lawmakers having filed an urgent motion yesterday to debate the matter in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Even electoral watchdog Bersih criticised the conditions, deeming them “unreasonable” and urged the EC to reject them.

Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, too, urged police to relax on the ruling, as candidates from both sides of the divide need to meet as many constituents as possible.

Liew said 562 permits have been applied as of yesterday, of which 101 applications were for house-to-house campaigning.

Since the first day of campaigning in Tanjung Piai, 42 permits have been approved for house-to-house campaigning. 

Questioned by Noor Azmi Ghazali (Harapan-Bagan Serai) if the house-to-house permit stipulation was publicised in the past eight by-elections, Liew acknowledged that it was not enforced. - Mkini