Bersih: Outgoing state governments merely caretakers, must not announce or pursue projects ahead of polls

KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 — The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) today reminded all outgoing state governments in Kelantan, Selangor, Kedah, Penang, Negeri Sembilan and Terengganu that they are not allowed to make major decisions or announce projects.

Ahead of state elections for those states, the steering committee of the electoral watchdog said the state governments are merely “caretaker governments” after the dissolution of the state legislatures.

“As a caretaker government’s function is only to maintain basic operation until the new government is sworn in, these caretaker governments must refrain from making any major decisions or announcing any projects.

“Any such decision or announcement would be democratically wrong and legally dubious as they do not have the authority beyond caretaking,” it said in a statement.

Bersih said that the secretary's offices of the state governments need to issue a caretaker government guideline like how it was done at the federal level.

“The guidelines, among other things, the ‘caretaker government’ cannot make any binding decisions or policies, nor can it take any action that may have financial implications and burden the newly established government, unless the action is required in the public interest,” it said.

Bersih also said the outgoing state governments can only promise any projects that they want to pursue in their manifesto and must not be announced as decisions.

“Bersih urges the Malaysian public to monitor and demand of all out-going state governments this basic respect of democracy.

“If misconduct is tolerated due to partisan bias, then all parties would race to the bottom in bending rules to win elections at the expense of public interest,” it added.

Previously, it was reported that all six states — Penang, Kedah, Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor and Terengganu — have agreed to dissolve their respective state assemblies within the last two weeks of June.

As of today, Kelantan and Selangor have officially dissolved their state assemblies.

The six states are expected to hold their elections in July or August of this year.