Sanusi accused of breaching election rules over ballot paper display

Kuala Lumpur: Caretaker Kedah Menteri BesarDatuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor is alleged to have breached election procedures by publicly displaying his ballot paper during voting in today's state election.

Twitter user @La_FarEast posted a photo of the Jeneri candidate holding the ballot paper for the media to see before placing it in the ballot box.

Such an act would be an offence under the Election Offences Act 1954, which carries a maximum penalty of one year's imprisonment or a fine of up to RM3,000, or both.

According to Section 5 of the Act: “Every officer, clerk, interpreter, candidate, agent, technical advisor and authorised person in attendance at a polling station shall maintain, and aid in maintaining, the secrecy of the voting in such station, and shall not communicate, except for some purpose authorised by law, before the poll is closed..”

A similar incident had occurred in the past in 2013, when BN candidate Tengku Zaihan Che Ku Abdul Rahman publicly displayed his ballot paper during the Kuala Besut by-election.

Astro AWANI reached out to Muhammad Sanusi and the Election Commission for their comments.