The MCA Youth has supported calls for the Election Commission (EC) to allow the election manifesto to be broadcast live to ensure a fair campaign.

Its chief, Dr Wee Ka Siong said if debates between Barisan Nasional and opposition leaders, including that of between the MCA president and the DAP secretary-general could be telecast live, there was no reason why the manifesto had to be pre-recorded.

“What is the difference? A manifesto is a document on a party’s struggle and strategies. I do not see why it has to be pre-recorded, unless a political party has three or four sets of manifestos,” he said after presenting 1Malaysia Development Berhad grants to 50 students who obtained excellent results in the Unified Examination Certificate examination in Kuala Lumpur today.

Wee was commenting on the EC’s statement that the opposition could only provide recorded statements to Radio and Television Malaysia (RTM) to broadcast their election manifesto.

EC chairperson Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof reportedly said the decision was made to prevent live broadcasts from threatening national security and public order, touching on personal issues, racial and religious sensitivities.

Wee, who is also deputy education minister, said as in Euro 2012 where fans were willing to stay up late to watch live telecast of football matches, party supporters also wanted to see the manifesto being broadcast live.

On 1MDB grants, he said the students received RM15,000 annually for three years to pursue a degree at public and private institutions of higher learning locally and abroad.

- Bernama