No legal basis for EC’s poster guideline, says Pua

The DAP leader says the new guideline is meant to reduce Pakatan Harapan’s support in the general election.

(From left) Tony Pua with DAP’s state candidates for the Damansara parliamentary constituency: Jamaliah Jamaluddin, Lim Yi Wei and Rajiv Rishyakaran.

PETALING JAYA: DAP’s Tony Pua has ridiculed the Election Commission’s (EC) new guideline specifying whose pictures can appear on campaign materials.

He said it was not based on any law but was being introduced to frustrate the opposition’s chances as Pakatan Harapan (PH) was now unable to use the pictures of leaders such as its prime minister-designate Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The EC’s new guideline, issued on Tuesday, says posters can only feature party presidents and/or deputy presidents or the equivalent, as well as a select group of senior party leaders in larger banners.

This means PH cannot have posters or banners with pictures of Mahathir or Anwar Ibrahim.

Saying political parties should be able to put the faces of anyone on posters, Pua asked why they were being disallowed from using Mahathir’s image.

“This is just another way of reducing support for the opposition,” he told reporters after launching the second PH service centre for the parliamentary constituency of Damansara.

The first centre is located in Selayang. The constituency is the second largest in the country with 165,000 voters.

Pua is the incumbent MP for the constituency, which has been renamed from Petaling Jaya Utara to Damansara after a controversial redelineation exercise.

Also present were PH’s candidates for the state seats under the Damansara parliamentary constituency: Jamaliah Jamaluddin for Bandar Utama, Lim Yi Wei for Kampung Tunku and Rajiv Rishyakaran for Bukit Gasing, all from DAP.

Asked how she felt, first-timer Lim, 28, said: “We have spent a long time developing a good relationship with the residents, and will do the best for the constituency. I am happy to bring the voice of young women to the fore.”

Jamaliah, 29, said it was important for young leaders to play a more prominent role in national politics. She did not think age would be a hurdle in serving her constituents well.- FMT