PETALING JAYA: Ahead of the Election Commission’s (EC) special meeting to decide on key dates for the Johor election, Pakatan Harapan has called for a 21-day campaigning period.

       Noting that the Covid-19 pandemic is reaching the endemic stage with daily figures beginning to stabilise, Pakatan’s presidential council said the EC should relax the standard operating procedure for the state election.

       “Allow ceramah and face-to-face campaigns such as distributing printed materials from house to house, subject to strict SOP.

       “The campaigning period should be at least 21 days,” the council said in a statement yesterday.

       It also said the Opposition should be given more air time on mainstream media and the EC should be mobilised to Malaysian embassies across the world to ensure postal votes are well implemented.

       “The Pakatan presidential council is determined to drive the entire strength of the Opposition and civil society in efforts to win the state election, not just with an aim to garner back the people’s mandate in the previous election, but to form a better state government,” it added.

       The council comprises PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Parti Amanah Negara president Mohamad Sabu, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and Upko president Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau.

       The three-week or 21-day campaigning period for elections was implemented in two by-elections, Balakong and Sri Setia, which were held after the 14th General Election in May 2018.

       The 21-day campaigning period, which was the longest campaigning period in the country’s history, was subsequently revised by the EC at the end of 2018 following mixed public feedback.

       Last year, the Melaka election had a 12-day campaigning period with nomination day on Nov 8 and polling on Nov 20, 2021, while the Sarawak election also had a 12-day campaigning period with nominations on Dec 6 and polling on Dec 18.

       In Melaka, all forms of ceramah were banned throughout the campaigning period while the EC allowed ceramah in certain constituencies in Sarawak that have poor Internet connectivity.