Politicians contesting the Melaka state election have been urged to run ethical campaigns and steer clear of 3R (royalty, religion, and race) issues
KUALA LUMPUR: Candidates and political parties contesting the Melaka state election have been urged to conduct ethical campaigns and refrain from exploiting sensitive 3R issues involving the royalty, religion and race for short-term electoral gains.
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities director Associate Prof Dr Mazlan Ali said politicians should prioritise the well-being of the people by offering effective plans and policies for public service delivery, rather than pursuing their own interests.
“They should not exploit issues that could undermine social harmony, such as matters involving royalty, religion and race, merely for popularity and to gain votes quickly, without considering the impact on the state and the country,” he said during the Fokus 15 programme produced by Bernama TV today.
Mazlan also urged voters to be wary of propaganda and fake news circulating on social media, and to refer to official mainstream news channels such as Bernama and RTM for verified information.
He said the dissolution of the Melaka Legislative Assembly, about three months before the end of its five-year term, was appropriate and in line with democratic and constitutional principles.
He said that with the mandate having exceeded four years and nine months, the dissolution allowed a fresh mandate to be returned to the people in an orderly manner.
“Three months before the expiry of the five-year term is an appropriate period for the dissolution, as the legislative assembly’s term had already exceeded four years and nine months.
“So, in the context of Melaka, it is appropriate and, from the perspective of democratic principles, it is in line with what is happening,” he said.
The Melaka Legislative Assembly was dissolved with effect from yesterday after Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh announced the dissolution a day earlier to pave the way for the 16th Melaka state election, following the consent of Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Mohd Ali Rustam.
In the 15th Melaka state election held on Nov 20, 2021, Barisan Nasional (BN) won 21 of the 28 state seats, enabling it to form the state government with a more than two-thirds majority, while Pakatan Harapan secured five seats and Perikatan Nasional two.
The current term of the Melaka Legislative Assembly was due to end on Dec 27.
