SEREMBAN: The Election Commission (EC) has urged those who are of the opinion that the government’s announcement on the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project is inappropriate and one of the efforts to win votes in the Rantau by-election, to lodge police report.
Its chairman Azhar Azizan Harun said if there was a police report lodged and the matter was being investigated, the court would then decide whether the government’s move was against the Election Offences Act 1954 or otherwise.
“Those with information, if they feel that it is inappropriate, then they have to lodge a report so that the investigators will investigate, and if there is a proper case decided by the Attorney General’s Chambers then it will be brought to court, that’s where the explanation as well as the defence must be given and decision will be made,“ he said.
He said this to reporters after witnessing the early voting process at the Rantau police station here today.
On Saturday, Transport Minister Anthony Loke in a campaign trail in Rantau said the alignment of ECRL will be rerouted to benefit Negri Sembilan if it resumed after negotiations with the Chinese government at the end of this month.
Meanwhile, commenting on the voting process earlier today, he said the overall voting process went smoothly and the percentage of voting at 11am was 72%.
Azhar Azizan said EC, thus far, had received 14 reports on election offences including the omission of printers’ names on the buntings as well as no permit to campaign.
The early voting process started at 8am today at two polling centres, namely, at the Sendayan air base and Rantau police station.
The process involved 74 military personnel and their spouses at at Sendayan air base and 36 police personnel cast their ballot papers at the Rantau police station.
The Rantau by-election sees a four-cornered fight between Pakatan Harapan’s Dr Streram, an anaesthetist, Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Mohamad who is also Umno deputy president and former Negri Sembilan mentri besar and two independent candidates, housewife R. Malarvizhi and former lecturer Mohd Nor Yassin.
The by-election was called after the Federal Court dismissed an appeal filed by Mohamad to set aside an Election Court (EC) decision to declare his victory in the 14th General Election (GE14) null and void. — Bernama
