Bersih flags 2 ministries over alleged election breaches

Electoral watchdog Bersih has accused two Malaysian ministries of violating election laws during recent by-elections and state elections in Sabah, Johor, and Negeri Sembilan. According to Bersih, ministries led by Nga Kor Ming and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi frequently organised programmes and announced allocations during the election period, using government resources and machinery.

The watchdog's observers found that these ministries, the housing and local government ministry and the rural and regional development ministry, were repeat offenders. Bersih's statement suggests that government-run sales events and civil servants' participation in such events may have been used for political campaigning, raising concerns about the exploitation of government resources to gain a political advantage.

The organization also criticized the involvement of the royal institution in political campaigns, particularly in the Negeri Sembilan election. Bersih calls for urgent reforms to the Election Offences Act 1954, including stricter guidelines to address excessive racial politics and digital manipulation, as well as greater powers for the Election Commission to penalize compoundable election offences.