Johor polls to cost EC close to RM100mil

State polls since the last general election have cost the government RM420 million, with tomorrow’s Johor elections accounting for nearly RM100 million of the bill.

(FMT) – Since 2018, state polls have been held in Sabah, Melaka and Sarawak to elect new legislative assemblies.

In a parliamentary written reply to Fuziah Salleh (PH- Kuantan), law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the Election Commission’s (EC) total expenditures for the polls were RM130 million in Sabah, RM45 million in Melaka and RM149 million in Sarawak.

In a separate response to Wong Ling Biu (PH-Sarikei), Wan Junaidi said the EC would be spending RM96 million to conduct the Johor elections.

Election expenses include the rental of equipment, vehicles, technology development, logistics solutions, allowances for EC staff, and items needed to adhere to Covid-19 SOPs.

He said the recent Melaka and Johor elections cost RM13 million and RM35 million more respectively, than the last time the states elected a new state assembly in 2018.