The Election Commission (EC) has the power to postpone the polling process at voting centres affected by flooding if an election is held during the monsoon season.
Former EC deputy chairperson Wan Ahmad Wan Omar noted that this is under the Election (Conduct of Elections) Regulations 1981, which empowers the commission to do so.
"If flood levels rise when polling is ongoing, the EC can decide to move the process to another day.
“The EC must then instruct the electoral officer to inform the presiding officers at all voting centres to stop the polling process," he was quoted as saying by Utusan Malaysia in an interview yesterday.
Wan Ahmad explained that the ballot boxes with votes must then be sealed according to existing procedures, witnessed by agents of all candidates or agents of voting centres to prevent any doubts or disputes.
"All presiding officers and EC officers have been trained and briefed enough on the steps to take should their voting centre get suddenly inundated," he said.
The sealed ballot boxes will then be opened by the presiding officer, which will be witnessed by all contesting candidates, on a new polling date set by the EC.
Wan Ahmad noted that conducting polls during the monsoon season does not pose a big challenge to the EC, as it had done so before during the 10th general election in 1999.
"During that election, there were heavy rains in the eastern states of the peninsula, but no voting centres experienced floods.
"The biggest challenge (in a monsoon election) would be for supporters of political parties in gathering outside voting centres to show support for their candidates," he said.
10pct more costly
Holding a general election during the monsoon season would cost the government 10 percent more than usual in conducting polls, Wan Ahmad said, especially if it involves closed polling centres.
The EC previously estimated that the 15th general election (GE15) is expected to cost around RM1 billion, double the RM500 million spent to conduct the polls in 2018.
Wan Ahmad said the increase in cost is due to additional allowances for workers, as well as preparations for a new voting process to replace the one that had to be stopped due to floods.
"There is also the cost to prepare umbrellas at the entrance of every voting centre, hiring heavy machinery to transport out equipment from a flooded place, and the added cost of allowances and meals for polling workers.
"The cost for other aspects including the ballot boxes, ballot papers, forms, pencils, rulers, ink and food remain the same," he added.
Elaborating on GE15, Wan Ahmad said that the EC has 60 days to conduct the election after Parliament dissolution.
"This means that if the Parliament is dissolved in October, the EC has enough time to carry out all the needed processes to have the election in November.
"If it gets belated to December, certain states such as Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor and Sarawak, are at risk of floods," he added. - Mkini
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