PETALING JAYA: A postponement in polling for the Padang Serai seat is “improbable” since early voting for the general election has already been conducted, says former law minister Azalina Othman Said.
She noted that some have said the Election Commission (EC) should set a new polling date for the seat following the death of Pakatan Harapan’s candidate, M Karupaiya, citing Regulation 11(6) of the Elections (Conduct of Elections) Regulations 1981.
However, she said, the same regulation also states that the EC can only set a fresh date before the polls have started, which includes early voting.
“In Padang Serai’s case, early voting had commenced on Nov 7 and Nov 15 for members of the police and armed forces as well as their spouses, rendering the calls for a postponement improbable.
“The commencement of early voting also makes it impossible for a new candidate to be nominated in Padang Serai as the early votes have already been cast and cannot be recalled.
“Furthermore, there is no legal provision for the nomination of new candidates after polling has begun,” she said in a statement.
Azalina, who heads Barisan Nasional’s democracy and law task force, said polling can go ahead in Padang Serai without the EC setting a new date or postponing GE15.
“The late M Karupaiya was an outstanding parliamentarian and a good friend to many on both sides of the aisle. My deepest condolences to his family. He will truly be missed,” she said.
Karupaiya died yesterday at the age of 69.
He was seeking re-election to a second term, in a six-cornered fight against Barisan Nasional’s C Sivarraajh, Perikatan Nasional’s Azman Nasrudin, Pejuang’s Hamzah Abdul Rahman, Warisan’s Bakri Hashim, and independent candidate Sreanandha Rao. - FMT
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