Crowds at polling centres as voters arrived simultaneously: EC
PUTRAJAYA: Voters arriving at the polling centre at the same time was one-factor causing congestion in some polling stations as queues snaked for miles into the roads.
Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Mohd Hashim Abdullah said many voters chose to cast their votes early and the voting process was reported to be smooth as up till 1pm, voter turnout was at 55%.
In a press conference held at Menara SPR here today, he said the crowding was believed to have resulted from viral messages urging people to vote early to prevent any other person using their names.
"The EC had already urged voters to vote in stages so that there is no crowding and they have to stand in queue a long time," he said.
Mohd Hashim also said there was a different 'voter mood' in this general election as though it was a festival as many people seemed excited to vote.
On why EC did not provide a polling stream especially for senior citizens, Mohd Hashim said it depended on the situation and location of the polling centres.
He said the EC had fixed polling streams based on age, such as for those aged 50 and 60.
On the death of two voters in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, and Dungun, Terengganu respectively, and a voter who fainted in a queue at Sekolah Kebangsaan Putrajaya Presint 16 (1) in Putrajaya, he said the EC would not know about the health condition of voters.
"The queue in Presint 16, Putrajaya at 8 am till 10am was long. The voter told us she had not eaten anything.. you cannot blame the EC for that," Hashim, who also voted at the school, said.
He also conveyed his condolences to the families of the two deceased.
Mohd Hashim also said the EC would investigate complaints of late delivery of postal ballot papers as voters said they did not receive them or the ballot papers were late in reaching them.
He said the EC had received several complaints and viewed the matter seriously.
The issue went viral on social media when several Malaysians residing overseas expressed their disappointment for not receiving the ballot papers or getting them late. — Bernama