Malaysia election campaign scrutinized over child involvement and PAS unity message

Three civil‑society groups – Voice of the Children, the Children’s Protection Society Malaysia and G25 Malaysia – have called on political parties in the Negeri Sembilan state election to stop using children in campaign materials. They warned that children “cannot vote, cannot consent and cannot withdraw” and cited Malaysia’s 1995 accession to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, urging the Election Commission to set clear rules prohibiting child participation in political advertising.

PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari responded to criticism of the party’s Malay‑unity rhetoric, stating that the call for Malays to unite “does not mean it is encouraging them to hate others” and rejecting claims that PAS is an extremist party. He appealed to Chinese, Indian and Malay‑Muslim voters to judge the party on its own statements and actions ahead of the election.