Several civil society organisations have urged the government to exclude the Election Commission from its Sekolah Angkat Madani and Kampung Angkat Madani programmes, saying its participation threatens the commission’s impartiality.
Bersih, Projek Sama, Engage, Tindak Malaysia, and Rise of Social Efforts (ROSE) said the EC’s involvement in these initiatives, which see various government agencies “adopting” schools or local communities, could erode public confidence in its independence.
“The EC is mandated to run elections, propose electoral boundaries, and maintain the electoral roll. Participation in Madani initiatives reflects poorly on its independence,” they said in a joint statement.
The groups said that instead of channelling funds for school infrastructure and village development, the EC should…