No guarantee all will abide by SOPs in Melaka polls, says minister

 

Law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar says SOPs were breached by the public and parties campaigning in last September’s Sabah election. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: Law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said he would advise ministers against circumventing the SOPs drawn up by the health ministry and the National Security Council (MKN) when campaigning for the Melaka state election next month.

However, he said he could not guarantee that the public and those from political parties would adhere to the SOPs.

“During the Sabah election, despite the SOPs in place, the public and those who campaigned did it (breached the SOPs), there was no control of such activity,” he told the Dewan Rakyat.

He was referring to the polls last September blamed by many for the surge in Covid-19 cases.

“But I will raise the matter at the next Cabinet meeting and advise them not to circumvent the SOPs by the health ministry and MKN,” he said when replying to a supplementary question by Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (PH-Kulim Bandar Baharu) on the Melaka polls.

Saifuddin had also asked the government to guarantee that there will be no double standards when it came to events organised by the government and those by the opposition.

The Pakatan Harapan secretary-general warned that any double standards in enforcement would lead to tension and “uncontrollable” anger.

But Wan Junaidi said there would not be any double standards, adding that the SOPs that would be drawn up by the Election Commission would be based on policies by the health ministry and MKN.

Earlier, he revealed that the health ministry and MKN were finalising the SOPs for the Melaka polls to be held on Nov 20. - FMT