Police probing three reports over Slim by-election campaign

The police are looking into three reports in relation to the Slim state by-election — a paint-sprayed poster of a candidate, an alleged fake news on social media and the holding of a job fair in the constituency.

Muallim District Police chief Supt Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman said today the police received a report last Thursday of paint sprayed on the poster of a candidate in the Changkat Sulaiman polling district.

“The police are investigating the matter under Section 427 of the Penal Code,” he told a press conference at the Muallim District Police headquarters here.

He also said that the police had recorded a statement from an individual who made a report last Saturday over an alleged fake news on social media.

The complainant was satisfied after the owner of the social media platform who uploaded the statement apologised, he said, adding that the police have referred the matter to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.

Sulizmie Affendy said the third report was on the holding of a job fair in Slim River, in the constituency, and the matter has been reported to the Election Commission and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

Yesterday, the campaign manager for independent candidate Amir Khusyairi Mohamad Tanusi lodged a police report over the job fair, claiming that it violated the election campaign rules. The fair was opened by Human Resource Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan.

Sulizmie Affendy also said that the police have received 101 applications for ceramah permits, 72 of them from Barisan Nasional (BN) and 29 from the independent candidates.

“Only one of these applications was rejected because of unsuitable location,” he said.

Sulizmie Affendy said he expected all the 267 police officers and personnel to exercise their right at early voting tomorrow at Dewan Bunga Tanjung at the Muallim District Police headquarters.

The by-election on August 29 is a three-cornered fight in which BN candidate Mohd Zaidi Aziz, 43, is facing two independent candidates — Amir Khusyairi Mohamad Tanusi, 38, who is from Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang), and S. Santhasekaran, 44. It is being held following the death of assemblyman Datuk Mohd Khusairi Abdul Taib of Umno.

-- BERNAMA