KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said disciplinary action would be taken if there was evidence of ministers or government agencies using government machinery during election campaigns.
He said that the cabinet had decided that after the candidate nomination, civil servants or any agency were strictly forbidden from using government machinery.
"After the nomination day, it (the machinery) can't be used. If there's evidence of ministers or government agencies using government machinery during campaigns, it violates the cabinet's decision. Therefore, disciplinary action must be taken.
"I can assure you that (of the action taken) this is because it relates to the principle we uphold (in combating corruption), a culture of corruption that we do not want to continue," he said during the Prime Minister's Question Time session in the Dewan Rakyat here today.
However, he noted that if projects were announced prior to candidate nomination, the issue should not be raised.
The prime minister responded to a supplementary question from Datuk Awang Hashim (PN-Pendang) who enquired whether the government was willing to stop practices such as announcing new projects in areas involved in elections.
Previously, The Housing and Local Government Ministry announced an allocation of RM5.21 million for Hulu Selangor residents, to be used for infrastructure projects in the area.
These include the construction of 12 kiosks in Taman Tasik Millenium in Kuala Kubu Baharu; repairing and upgrading 10 units of MPHS stalls at Jalan Abdul Hamid; Madani People's Housing Programme project in Kampung Air Panas; and repairing the badminton court and putting up a fence at the Kampung Asam Kumbang playground.
The announcement has since received criticism from several quarters, including electoral watchdog Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) and Muar member of parliament Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman who questioned the need for the allocation following the by-election in Kuala Kubu Baru.
The ministry made an announcement close to the Sungai Bakap by-election, where the minister announced an RM18 million allocation for a slew of projects and non-Muslim houses of worship in Seberang Prai, Penang.
The bulk of the allocation goes to the construction of the new Permatang Tinggi fire and rescue station at RM13.7 million, upgrading of the first floor of the Bukit Panchor market into a hall (RM1 milion) and RM1.019 million for six non-Muslim houses of worship.
On June 15, Anwar reminded cabinet ministers against announcing projects and allocations during the Sungai Bakap by-election campaign scheduled to begin on June 22.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution said Anwar had stressed to Cabinet members not to use their respective positions to make any announcement that would be deemed as handing an advantage to the unity government candidate.