More than 600 workers appointed to facilitate Slim by-election - EC chairman

The Election Commission (EC) has appointed 689 workers to facilitate the Slim state by-election tomorrow, which will involve 12 polling centres and 54 channels.

EC chairman Datuk Abdul Ghani Salleh said the polling centres are at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Changkat Sulaiman; SK Trolak Utara; SK Trolak Selatan; SK Seri Besout; SK Besout 3 dan 5; SK Kuala Slim; SK Slim River; SK Aminudin Baki; Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil (SJKT) Ladang Sungkai; SJKT Ladang Kelapa Bali and SJKT Trolak.

He said the result is expected to be announced by 9 pm if there is no disruption or protest.

On the voter turnout, he said the EC was targeting 85 per cent of the 22,749 ordinary voters to exercise their rights tomorrow and hoped they would all comply with the prescribed standard operating procedures (SOP) to curb the spread of COVID-19.

“This (compliance with SOP) is to ensure our safety and that of our family members because we are still under the Movement Control Order (MCO).

“We fear that voters when they go home, bring problems to their families," he told reporters after visiting the vote-tally centre at the Tanjung Malim District Council’s Dewan Sri Tanjung here, today.

Abdul Ghani also reminded voters to abide by the rules, such as not to wear or carry anything that symbolises a political as they could be prevented from entering the polling station and may face action.

The Slim by-election will witness a three-cornered fight among Barisan Nasional candidate and two Independent candidates -- lawyer Amir Khusyairi Mohamad Tanusi, who is representing the yet-to-be registered Parti Pejuang Tanahair (Pejuang), and former teacher, S. Santharasekaran.

The by-election is called following the death of its four-term assemblyman Datuk Mohd Khusairi Abdul Talib, of BN, from a heart attack, last July 15.

Early voting was held last Tuesday, with 96.25 per cent of the 267 early voters having exercised their rights.

Meanwhile, EC secretary Ikmalrudin Ishak, in a statement, reminded all parties, including contesting candidates, against opening, building or maintaining office or “barung” (voters’ reference booth) tomorrow.

“No one can canvass for votes, including outside the polling centres, and through the social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others,” he said, adding that the campaign period ends at 11.59 tonight.

-- BERNAMA