Polls: Info dept staff, Madani community members cannot join political campaigns - Fahmi

SHAH ALAM - Information Department staff and members of the Madani Community are prohibited from participating in any form of political campaign during the state elections from July 29 to Aug 12.

Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil said they are not allowed to campaign for any political party, wear party attire, wave party flags or carry party leaflets of candidates.

"But this doesn’t mean the Information Department will be on holiday (throughout the campaign period), they will still carry out their duties (to provide information regarding government programmes), and the same goes with the Madani Community,” he said when officiating the establishment of the Selangor Madani community at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) here today.

He said the directive for civil servants not to be involved in political campaigns was not something new.

Meanwhile, Fahmi said the Madani Community movement was a multi-racial voluntary body managed by the Information Department to implement Madani values in the community.

Acting as the eyes and ears of the federal and state governments, he said the Madani Community is a very important front-line machinery in channelling information and policies, as well as obtaining input for development needs in an area.

Fahmi said the ministry was targeting the establishment of 168 Madani communities throughout Selangor this year, with about 50 already established in the Central Zone involving the Petaling, Klang and Gombak districts as of July 20.

"I am confident that after the state elections, the target of 87 Madani communities in the Selangor central zone can be achieved,” he said.

The Election Commission has fixed polling for the state elections in Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan on Aug 12, nomination on July 29, while early voting is on Aug 8. - BERNAMA