KUALA LUMPUR: The Election Commission spent RM725 million on the 15th General Election (GE15).
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said this was lower than the projected cost of RM1 billion.
She said the commission had calculated the cost in January.
She also said the commission was preparing reports on the state elections that preceded GE15.
"The EC published a report on GE14 in September last year.
"The commission is also preparing a report on the Sabah elections, as well as the Melaka and Johor elections that will be released to the public," she said in a reply to a question from Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka).
Azalina also said the legal affairs division in the Prime Minister's Department was finalising the Parliamentary Services Bill, which will allow the Dewan Rakyat to govern its affairs and be independent from the civil service.
"The granting of autonomy to Parliament through the law is crucial and we are making good progress in upholding the separation of powers between the legislative and executive bodies.
"The cabinet memorandum on the matter will be presented soon," she said in reply to a question from Wong Kah Woh (PH-Taiping).
On another matter, Azalina said that on Feb 14 the Dewan Rakyat had approved a select committee on parliamentary special select committees,
"This select committee will scrutinise the parliamentary special select committees and their related functions."