JOHOR BAHRU: The Election Commission (EC) has set March 12 as the polling day for the Johor state election.

The nomination will be on Feb 26 and early voting on March 8.

The dates were announced by EC chairman Datuk Abdul Ghani Salleh at a press conference after chairing the EC special meeting on the state election here today.

Abdul Ghani said the Master Electoral Roll 2021 which was updated as of Jan 21, 2022, would be used for the state election.

The electoral roll contains 2,597,742 voters, comprising 2,574,835 regular voters, 10,955 military personnel and their spouses, 11,576 police personnel and spouses and 376 absent voters who are overseas.

Meanwhile, in a statement, Abdul Ghani said the state election was estimated to cost RM96 million.

A total of 56 returning officers, 186 assistant returning officers and 49,290 election workers would be appointed for the Johor polls.

He said 1,021 polling centres with 4,638 voting channels would be used on the polling day, while 63 centres with 83 channels would be used for early voting.

Abdul Ghani said, on the polling day, 962 regular polling centres would be opened from 8 am to 6 pm, while the other 59 centres would be opened according to the gazetted time.

"For early voting centres, 29 of them would be opened from 8 am till noon; eight centres from 8 am to 2 pm, and 26 others, from 8 am to 5 pm," he said.

For postal voters in the country and abroad, Abdul Ghani said application for Category 1B (Malaysian citizens overseas) and Category 1C (nine agencies in security and health sectors) is now open until Feb 18 and can be done online at https://myspr.spr.gov.my/.

"Meanwhile, the application for Category 1A (election workers, EC officials, police and military personnel as well as media practitioners) opens today until Feb 24," he added.

He also advised all eligible applicants to apply early to avoid problems.

The Johor State Legislative Assembly, which was dissolved on Jan 22, has 56 seats.

-- BERNAMA