KUALA LUMPUR: Everyone will be treated equally as far as the standard operating procedure related to the Melaka state election is concerned, says Senior Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.

       He said this included enforcing the Covid-19 SOP at official government events.

       “Equal action will be practised so that the people will not see any double standards over the enforcement and monitoring of the SOP,” he told a press conference in Parliament yesterday.

       The Health Ministry had banned all political gatherings in Melaka over Covid-19 concerns until Nov 27.

       Hishammuddin, who is also Defence Minister, said according to the current SOP, wedding feasts and government events were allowed under Phase Four of the National Recovery Plan.

       “But I would like to remind everyone that we cannot compare between the environment under Phase Four and the environment during the state election.

       “The government has to balance the demand for health and safety with the demand for democratic practice in holding the Melaka state election,” he said.

       HIshammuddin added that the government was fully aware of public concerns, which was why the state election would be held on the condition that it would be with a strict SOP.

       “When we decided to ask His Majesty (the Yang di-Pertuan Agong) to consider not declaring an Emergency, that meant that the (Melaka) state polls had to be called.

       “The fact is that the decision was made on the condition of having a strict SOP so that everything we have done in response to Covid-19 will not go down the drain just because of one state election,” he said.