KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 — An Umno-linked group has questioned today whether civil societies, including Bersih 2.0, will question the Election Commission’s (EC) decision to set the Tanjung Piai by-election coincidentally on the same date as Umno and MCA’s general assemblies.

In a statement, think tank Centre For Governance And Political Studies (Cent-GPS) said it hopes other groups including the polls watchdog will stand up and be fair against the decision, which has been criticised by some Umno leaders since yesterday.

“A better Malaysia starts with the current leaders choosing to be better rather than constantly comparing themselves with the lower standards of the previous administration,” Cent-GPS political analyst Shamil Norshidi said.

The group said although the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration had deployed such tactics in the past, Pakatan Harapan (PH) may jeopardise its own reform agenda if it resorts to a similar retaliatory move.

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“This may be a slippery slope towards more obstructions of democracy. If we do not criticise this now, then we might soon face a Putrajaya that is more at ease to tip the democratic scales in their favour.

“But whilst it’s easy to sit back and laugh at BN for getting a taste of their own medicine, this strategic move is a warning sign for all those who truly believe in PH’s commitment to reform,” he said.

Shamil noted that when BN set the date of the 14th general election (GE14) on a Wednesday, it had received condemnation from PH leaders who also criticised certain BN component parties for staying silent on the matter.

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The EC had yesterday announced that the by-election will be held on November 16, with the Nomination Day set for November 2 and early voting on November 12.

November 16 falls on a Saturday, and unlike the May 9 date for GE14, is not a working day in any state.

BN-led Putrajaya and the EC received major backlash from voters last year after announcing the GE14 dates on a working day. The former subsequently announced May 9 as a special public holiday.

The Umno general assembly is scheduled for November 13 to 16, with an additional day allocated for an extraordinary general meeting to amend the party’s constitution.

The Tanjung Piai parliamentary by-election was triggered by the death of its incumbent Datuk Dr Md Farid Md Rafik, 42, from a heart attack last month.