I refer to the new regulations issued by the Elections Commission on the 24th of April, which restricts the pictures on campaign material to that of the candidate, party president and deputy president (of contesting parties) only.
A sudden decision like this, with just 2 days to go before nomination day, and 2 weeks before polling is most unfair and biased against the opposition parties, particularly Pakatan Harapan. Apart from potential wasted costs, it would also disrupt logistics and campaign strategy.
Unlike Barisan Nasional that has a huge machinery and control of mainstream media to convey the identity of their leadership and policies, Pakatan Harapan relies on conventional campaign materials to canvass in elections.
The EC’s argument that voters will be confused is an illogical one, as there has been 13 general elections before this, without any incident where voters are confused on parties they are voting for.
This appears to be part of a strategic and orchestrated series of premeditated actions that intends to keep Tun Dr Mahathir out of the polls as much as possible. I call on the EC to uphold the democratic process and allow for healthy, fair and free elections.