Gaming concessionaires and sub-concessionaires are required under the rules of the Legislative Assembly Election to remain neutral and impartial with regard to the process.

Companies cannot take part in any campaigning events, or act in support of – or in opposition to – particular electioneering teams, under the existing administrative concession system that also applies to all public entities.

The Chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission for the Legislative Assembly Election, Mr Tong Hio Fong, told reporters on Wednesday (10 May) after a meeting with the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau.

The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau will inspect – within the terms of its powers – casinos to ensure gaming operators do not breach their duty to be neutral and impartial with regard to the Legislative Assembly Election, said its Director, Mr Paulo Martins Chan,

Staff of gaming concessionaires and sub-concessionaires need to remain neutral – when executing their duties – and cannot display any campaigning material on company premises. Any violation of election law might amount to a criminal offence, with the possibility – upon conviction – of up to three years in prison for each offence, or a fine.

In other remarks, Mr Tong gave a reminder that each voter was entitled to endorse only a single election team’s nomination committee. The Commission had a series of checks to verify voter nomination processes, including asking for a pledge from the trustee of the nomination committee. This was to ensure that the will of voters was respected.

Voters who nominated more than one electioneering team might be committing either a crime or a misdemeanour, depending on whether the act was conducted intentionally or in error, added Mr Tong.

The Commission would display brochures – containing the political programmes of all the electioneering teams – in libraries, hospitals and centres of public services, rather than sending such material to all households by mail. In neither of the previous two elections had such brochures been mailed to homes. The reason was to ease the burden faced by the postal services, added Mr Tong.