Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has reiterated that the announcement of new government projects or policies is prohibited after the nomination day for any election, in accordance with the Election Offences Act 1954.
Anwar said the restriction also extends to the use of government machinery at the federal, state and local authority levels for campaigning purposes during the election period.
However, he clarified that the implementation or continuation of projects approved before the nomination period is permitted and does not violate election regulations.
“It is not allowed to use government machinery to announce new projects during the campaign period, whether at the city council, state government or federal government level,” he said during the Minister’s Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday.
The Prime Minister, who also serves as Finance Minister, was responding to a question from Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim (PN–Arau) on whether the prohibition on announcing government allocations or projects after nomination day remains in force and how it will be enforced ahead of the Johor, Melaka and Negeri Sembilan state elections.
Addressing recent controversy surrounding Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming, Anwar said the minister’s announcement did not breach election rules because it involved projects that had already been approved rather than new initiatives.
He explained that the projects had been sanctioned under the previous national budget and that reiterating or updating the public on their implementation does not constitute an election offence.
Anwar said he had sought clarification on the matter from legal advisers and the Election Commission (EC), adding that both the Election Offences Act and existing legal provisions distinguish between announcing new projects and providing updates on previously approved ones.
He nevertheless acknowledged that public announcements made during an election period could be open to misinterpretation and said government leaders should exercise caution to avoid creating such perceptions.
According to Anwar, announcing existing projects or previously approved allocations is not against the law, although he personally prefers to avoid making such announcements during election campaigns to prevent misunderstanding.
