A PROPOSAL for election candidates to undergo mandatory health screenings has the support of a Pakatan Harapan minister and electoral watchdog Bersih 2.0.

Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said moves are in the pipeline, and that the proposal will be raised in the cabinet.

Bersih said health screenings are as important as making election candidates declare their assets and ensuring that they are corruption-free.

Both Dzulkefly and Bersih said the proposal is not new, but the deaths of two Selangor PKR assemblymen due to cancer within three months of each other, following the 14th general election, are a reminder to pursue the policy.

“I think the cabinet is willing to discuss this and develop a position that we can adopt as part of the criteria for election candidates,” Dzulkefly told The Malaysian Insight.

He said the suggestion was first made ahead of the 2013 elections, after the country went through 11 by-elections following GE12 on March 8, 2008.

It is the highest number of by-elections held within one parliamentary term in Malaysia’s history.

“To say that we are suggesting this because of the recent deaths is not correct,” said Dzulkefly.

“But for the future, I am confident that the cabinet will be responsible in setting this important criterion, as we call it in medical terms, ‘inclusion (criterion)’, for election candidates.”

Selangor PH has lost three reps in less than 100 days after the pact’s May 9 victory.

Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei, 50, and Shaharuddin Badaruddin, 55, died due to lymphoma and colon cancer, respectively. Balakong rep Eddie Ng Tien Chee died on July 20 in a road accident.

Shuhaimi’s death triggered the Sungai Kandis by-election, which took place yesterday. The Election Commission will meet in the coming week to set a date for the Seri Setia polls, necessitated by Shaharuddin’s death.

In Shaharuddin’s case, the former state government exco, who died at Putrajaya Hospital on Thursday, was said to have suffered from cancer for the past two years.

It is learnt that he had undergone an operation before GE14 and was recovering, but his health took a turn for the worst last month.

Bersih acting chairman Shahrul Aman Mohd Saari said he agrees with Dzulkefly that parties should be responsible for ensuring their candidates’ health.

He said health screenings should be compulsory and adopted as a policy by each party.

“Becoming an elected representative is a heavy task that requires a lot of time and energy. Parties should ensure that their candidates are fit to stand, and to carry out all their duties if they win.

“It is also part of being transparent. If a party is transparent, it can gain the people’s trust.”

He added that such a policy is especially important for potential candidates with terminal illnesses.

“There have been cases where it was already known that a candidate has a terminal illness.

“Even though death is not something we can control, holding a by-election is still a cost to voters.

“We shouldn’t be busying ourselves unnecessarily with by-elections, which cost time and money.” – August 5, 2018.