EC lodges police reports against 62 GE14 candidates

EC chairman Azhar Azizan Harun says the police reports will enable action to be taken under the law.

PETALING JAYA: The Election Commission (EC) has lodged police reports against 62 candidates for failing to declare their expenses incurred in the 14th general election (GE14), its chairman Azhar Azizan Harun said.

He said in a statement that the reports were lodged to enable further action to be taken under the law.

Azhar said the Election Offences Act 1954 stated that candidates or their agents should have filed the returns 31 days after the election results were gazetted on May 31.

“All candidates should have filed their returns on June 28 but 62 did not meet the deadline. Fourteen contested in Parliament seats while another 48 were for seats to state assemblies,” he said.

Under section 23 of the law, successful candidates to the Dewan Rakyat and state assemblies who failed to file in their returns on time could not enter the legislatures and vote.

“They also cannot take part in any election for five years,” he said, adding that they could also be prosecuted for failure to adhere to the law.

A total of 687 contested for parliamentary seats while 1,646 vied for state seats, except in Sarawak. - FMT