EC looking into new spending cap for election hopefuls

 The commission is also mulling taking party expenditures into account in making amendments to the Election Offences Act 1954.

The Election Commission is reviewing digital election campaign methods, including the cost of social media ads, said law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said.

PETALING JAYA:

 The Election Commission is looking into the possibility of setting a new cap on the campaign expenditure of election candidates, according to law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said.

Azalina said currently, the Election Offences Act stipulates that candidates running for parliamentary seats are only allowed to spend a maximum of RM200,000 on their campaign.

The cap for state seat candidates is RM100,000.

However, she said the Election Offences Act does not set a limit on political party expenditure.

“Nevertheless, the EC is studying the suitability of imposing a new cap on candidate expenditures and whether party expenditures should also be taken into account when improving the Act,” she said in a written parliamentary reply.

Azalina also said the commission is reviewing digital election campaign methods, including the cost of social media ads, with engagements to be held with all stakeholders.

She was replying to Rafizi Ramli (PH-Pandan), who asked if the government plans to review the cap on expenditure for election candidates, which the former minister described as impractical and outdated. - FMT