Bersih chairman Thomas Fann said a caretaker government’s function is to maintain the administration’s “basic operations” until a new government is formed after the elections.

“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.

“Whatever projects any outgoing state government wants to pursue can only be promised in its election manifesto and must not be announced as decisions.

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

Fann suggested that the respective state secretary’s office issue a caretaker government guideline as has been done at the federal level during general elections.

Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu will hold state elections within 60 days from the end of June.

Kelantan and Selangor dissolved their state assemblies last week, Penang will do so tomorrow, and the other states are expected to follow suit later this week.