By KUALA LUMPUR: De facto law minister Takiyuddin Hassan today said the Election Commission (EC) could require up to RM1.2 billion if snap polls were to be called now.
He told the Dewan Rakyat that this amount was an estimation provided by the EC, covering the various SOPs that would be employed to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
In comparison, he said, the 2018 general election had cost RM500 million.
“I was informed by the EC that should the government decide to hold a general election now, or even after Covid-19, it would cost an estimated RM1.2 billion, not RM700 million,” he said.
In February, Azhar Harun, who was then the EC chairman, said it would cost between RM750 million and RM800 million to hold a snap election.
Takiyuddin also told the Dewan Rakyat that the EC spent around RM13 million of the RM15 million it received in 2019 for the Cameron Highlands, Sandakan, Semenyih, Rantau and Tanjung Piai by-elections.
