More polling centres and streams for GE15

 

The SOPs issued by the health ministry and National Security Council for the Sabah state election will be maintained.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Election Commission (EC) will have more polling centres and polling streams if the 15th general election (GE15) is held under the new normal due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Shabudin Yahaya said this would be done to allay fears among voters, as the pandemic is expected to be around for a while.

“The EC has plans in place to encourage voters to vote. The increase in polling centres and streams will speed up the process besides providing assurance to voters that it will be safe to come out and vote,” he told the Dewan Negara today.

He was replying to a supplementary question from Idris Ahmad on the government’s efforts to increase confidence among voters if GE15 is called before the pandemic ends.

To the original question from Idris on EC’s preparedness to conduct the election in the new normal, Shabudin stressed that Covid-19 preventive SOPs for the election had already been issued by the health ministry and National Security Council.

“The guidelines have been adapted to the prevailing movement control order and were used during the Chini and Slim by-elections as well as the Sabah state election,” Shabudin said. - FMT