By-election for Tanjong Datu state seat on Feb 18
PUTRAJAYA: The by-election for the Tanjong Datu State Assembly seat in Sarawak will be held on Feb 18, said Election Commission (EC) Chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Hashim Abdullah.
He said that the Election Commission, at its special meeting today, also fixed the nomination day for the by-election for Feb 4, while polling is set for Feb 12.
The by-election for the Tanjong Datu state seat is being held following the death of the incumbent Assemblyman, who was also the Sarawak Chief Minister, Tan Sri Adenan Satem due to heart complications on Jan 11 at the Sarawak Heart Centre in Kota Samarahan, Sarawak.
In the 11th Sarawak State Election in May last year, Adenan, 72, polled 6,360 votes beating the PKR candidate, Jazolkipli Numan who polled only 468 votes, with a majority of 5,892 votes.
Adenan was the incumbent Assemblyman for Tanjong Datu since the 2006 state election.
Mohd Hashim said at a media conference on the by-election that the Tanjung Datu State Constituency had 9,959 registered voters involving 9,771 ordinary voters and 188 early voters.
"A total of 250 returning officers will be appointed for the election process and it is estimated that this will require a budget of RM997,919," he said.
The by-election will use the 2015 master electoral roll which is merged with the supplementary electoral roll up to the second quarter of 2016 which had been updated until Jan 11, he said.
Mohd Hashim said the EC had agreed to appoint Lundu District Officer, Hamsein Atar, as the Returning Officer for the by-election for the Tanjong Datu State constituency.
He also announced the formation of an Election Campaign Enforcement Team (PP-KPR) to monitor all campaign activities.
The Lundu Community Hall has been chosen as the nomination centre and official vote tallying centre, while the early voting centre will be at the Kampung Sungai Lundu Hall and the Dewan ULS Kem Sampidi, he said.
Mohd Hashim said 18 premises would be used as the polling centres namely 14 schools and four community halls, involving 27 voting channels.
Mohd Hashim said any non-governmental organisations (NGOs) wishing to observe the process of the by-election beginning from the nomination day until the announcement of the election result could make an application to the EC as a local observer until Jan 30.
"They are allowed to make an observation as in the nomination centres, early polling centres, polling centres, vote tallying centres and the vote tallying process.
Mohd Hashim said the register of voters would be sold from Feb 2 and voters in the division could make a review to find out information on their Polling centre and voting channels on the website www.spr.gov.my or via SMS by typing EC
In addition, voters can also contact the EC headquarters at 03-88927000 or the Sarawak State Election Office (082-254233 or 082-254867). —
Bernama