Malaysia polls: Who will get the people's mandate?

KUALA LUMPUR: Tomorrow, all registered and eligible electors in Malaysia will cast their ballots in the country's 15th General Election (GE15) to give their mandate to their preferred party or coalition to form the new federal government and three state governments for the next five years.

A total of 20,853,681 out of 21,173,638 registered electors in the peninsula are expected to flock to their respective polling centres from 8 am to 6 pm, while in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan, from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm to exercise their right to vote.

To ease the process, 38,348 voting streams have been made available at 8,958 polling centres nationwide costing RM1.01 billion, an increase of RM500 million from the allocation for GE14.

The GE15, based on the first-past-the-post electoral system, began with early voting on Tuesday at 578 polling centres which saw 212,961 or 94.72 per cent early voter turnout among security personnel and their spouses.

Realising the importance for the people to exercise their right to vote, the government also announced today and tomorrow as public holidays, while the governments of Johor, Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah also announced a replacement holiday on Sunday.

Without sidelining public health and aspects, the Ministry of Health (MOH) had also advised COVID-19-positive electors to wear facemasks when going to the polls, to not take public transport, to practice physical distancing and to return home immediately after casting their votes.

As stressed by Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, the wearing of facemasks for other voters is highly encouraged, apart from using hand sanitisers, to curb the spread of the virus.

As the country is also facing the threats of the Northeast monsoon, the Department of Meteorology (MetMalaysia) also forecast thunderstorms in seven states, namely Johor, Kedah, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Perlis, Penang and Selangor on the polling day.

While Kelantan, Perak, Sabah, Terengganu and Labuan are expected to experience morning rain, the weather in Pahang, Sarawak, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya is expected to be bright and sunny.

On possible floods, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had, on Thursday, said that the government had activated the National Disaster Management Committee to help the victims and coordinate rescue operations in affected areas and states.

The Malaysian Parliament was dissolved on Oct 10 to give way to the GE15, just three days after the 2023 Budget was tabled in Parliament.

The GE15 involves 222 Parliamentary seats and 116 state seats namely Perak (59), Pahang (42) and Perlis (15). The by-election for the Bugaya state seat is also held simultaneously with the GE15 after being postponed due to the proclamation of emergency to curb the spread of COVID-19.

However, the Election Commission (EC) has set the election for Padang Serai parliamentary seat to be held on Dec 7 following the death of incumbent cum Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate M. Karupaiya last Wednesday.

With a total of 1,380 candidates contesting, 939 of whom for parliamentary seats, 434 for state seats in Perlis, Perak and Pahang, as well as seven vying for the Bugaya state seat, the GE15 has been deemed the most intense in the history of the country's democratic process.

This election also sees main coalitions namely Barisan Nasional (BN), Pakatan Harapan (PH), Perikatan Nasional (PN), Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and other parties working hard to win the support and votes from approximately 1.4 million young voters aged 18 to 20 who are eligible for the first time to decide who should lead the country.

The 14-day campaign period which began from the nomination day on Nov 5 had been filled with numerous ceramah, poster war, meet-and-greet sessions as well as online campaigns to win the hearts of the voters. The campaign period ends at 11.59 tonight.

On the security aspect, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said the Royal Malaysia Police are committed to maintaining public order and national security.

He also advised the public not be fall for fake news that aims to create anxiety, fear and negative speculation.

What's for sure, the GE15 is not just held to complement the democratic process but also an important platform to elect a government that is stable and capable of leading the country, including in overcoming the various challenges and global economic uncertainties that await next year.

It is not just an opportunity to exercise the right to vote, but also a great responsibility for every voter to make the right decision to ensure the continuity of peace, success and prosperity for Malaysia.

-- BERNAMA