Riot advises employers to allow workers to vote

GE14 | Employers are asked to allow their workers to exercise their right to vote in the 14th general election on May 9 which falls on Wednesday, said caretaker human resources minister Richard Riot Jaem.

“Employers must allow their workers (to go out and vote). They must be given the opportunity,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.

This is in line with the provisions of the Election Offences Act 1954 that requires employers to allow their employees a reasonable period for voting.

Under Section 25(3) of the Election Offences Act 1954​​, any employers who refused to allow their workers to go out and vote on that day are liable to be fined not exceeding RM5,000 or an imprisoned one year upon conviction.

Election Commission chairperson Mohd Hashim Abdullah today announced that polling day for GE14 is on May 9, nomination day on April 28 and early voting on May 5.

Commenting on the polling date, Riot said the EC would have had its own reasons to choose that date.

Wednesday polling day won't affect operations

Meanwhile, Malaysian Employers Federation vice-president A Ramadass said the polling day on Wednesday would not cause any problems to employers or affect the operation of companies.

He said in respecting the rights of Malaysians, employers would give time off to employees to discharge their responsibility.

“It has indeed been accepted as a practice and it has also happened previously (polling on a working day). After all, it takes only a few hours to go to vote and then return to work,” he said.

However for those who are voting in other states from the state they are employed, Ramadass said they should ask for leave to return to their respective constituencies.

Voting on a working day is not a novelty for Malaysians but is not common. The GE was held on Aug 19, 1959, which was on a Wednesday, while the sixth GE in 1982 was held on Thursday, April 22.

The ninth and tenth general elections also fell on Monday on April 25, 1995 and Nov 29,1999 respectively.

- Bernama