Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof, who headed the commission from December 2008 to January 2016, said PH could not use Mahathir’s pictures on campaign materials because both the coalition and PPBM, one of its component parties, had yet to be legally registered.
Mahathir serves as chairman of PH as well as PPBM.
Abdul Aziz said only registered parties, including those affiliated with PH, were allowed to display campaign materials featuring their logos and the images of their candidates and leaders.
“For instance, if DAP is contesting for the Seremban seat, then only posters of DAP leaders are allowed to be put up in Seremban because it is a party that is registered,” he told FMT.
“If an MCA leader contests for the same seat, the party will be allowed to put up Barisan Nasional and MCA posters and symbols, as well as MIC and Umno posters, because BN is a registered coalition.”
He noted that the Registrar of Societies had said PPBM must resolve irregularities concerning its annual general meeting before it could be considered for registration.
“This means it hasn’t been approved yet,” he said. “And because of problems within PPBM, PH too cannot be registered yet.”
Aziz said the EC’s rule regarding images on campaign materials was nothing new, but he recalled that he bent it a little when he was chairman by allowing group pictures of Pakatan Rakyat leaders on the campaign materials of individual parties belonging to the coalition.
Pakatan Rakyat, which is now defunct, was never a registered organisation.
Aziz also recalled receiving complaints about the use of the logos of all three Pakatan Rakyat parties on individual posters.
PH has applied to register as a formal coalition so that it can contest under a single logo. The High Court is scheduled today to hear its suit to compel the Registrar of Societies to approve its registration.
RoS still probing complaints against PPBM, says home ministry