BN’s quiet but early election campaign an electoral offence

______________
Media Conference
by Lau Weng San
_________________

(Petaling Jaya, Tuesday): We would like to highlight several incidents substantiated with photographs that Barisan Nasional has started their early but quiet election campaign in Selangor way before the coming General Election is called.

Photographs taken by DAP members and supporters for the past one week in various places in Selangor, featuring Barisan Nasional gigantic banners outside their election campaign operation centre in various places in Selangor i.e. Tanjung Sepat and Seri Kembangan, with BN logo and a cross next to it.

Session 3(1)(m) of the Election Offences Act 1954 has clearly stipulated that any person who prints any advertisement, hand-bill, placard or poster which refers to an election and contains a reproduction of a ballot paper, or of what purports to be a ballot paper, to be used or likely to be used at such election; shall be liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to a fine not exceeding five thousand ringgit or to both such imprisonment and fine and, subject to any provision to the contrary in any written law relating to any election, shall until the expiration of five years from such conviction be incapable of being registered or listed as an elector or of voting at any election or of being elected at any election, and if at that date he has been elected at any election, his seat shall be vacated from the date of such conviction.

Such quiet but early campaign by BN is nothing but an electoral offence as explained in the act. DAP Selangor will lodge an official complaint to the Election Commission (EC) that stern action should be taken against BN for putting up unlawful election campaign material before campaign period.

(01/01/2008)