KUALA LUMPUR: Taxpayers are expected to foot a bill of RM750 million to RM800 million if snap polls are called.
In a statement to the press, Election Commission (EC) chairman Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun said the increase in expenditure was unavoidable.
“This is because the EC is planning to continue enhancements that have been carried out in the past 10 by-elections since the 14th General Election (GE14) such as the increase in polling centres, and equipping special voting streams for those with special needs.
“The EC will also be preparing facilities such as wheelchairs and shuttle services for the elderly and those with special needs,” he said in a statement here today.
Azhar said improvements in infrastructure via the construction of cemented roads and ramps for the wheelchair-bound; and other initiatives to ensure balloting ease were among the enhancements that were underway.
He said the last general election cost RM500 million, and it had involved 14.9 million Malaysians going to the polls. At that time, about 260,000 election officers were deployed to ensure that the process ran smoothly.
“A total of 600,817 balloting papers and 88,113 bottles of indelible ink were also used.”
Azhar said the EC did not have any role to play in the dissolution of Dewan Rakyat and that Article 55(2) states that only the Yang di-Pertuan Agong has the authority to do so.
“The EC only plays a role when parliament is dissolved. The EC can hold polls within 60 days of its dissolution based on Article 55(4) of the Federal Constitution in the event that it is dissolved following the current political climate.”