Party stickers for polling day cars

(NST) KOTA BARU: The Election Commission (EC) will limit the number of party vehicles ferrying voters to polling centres on the day of the Manik Urai by-election.

To enforce the ruling, the EC will for the first time, be issuing coloured stickers to identify the party vehicles — BN will have blue stickers, Pas green and independents orange.

EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said the introduction of the stickers was requested by the police to control traffic flow on polling day as the roads in Manik Urai were narrow.

"It will also put a stop to the campaigning on polling day with vehicles ferrying voters flying party flags and carrying party logos. We had wanted to introduce it in the recent Penanti by-election but it was not carried out.

"The stickers will be pasted on the right side of the vehicles and only party vehicles with the stickers will be allowed to enter the area. Private vehicles carrying voters will be allowed to go to the centres, but they will be strictly off-limits to joyriders," he told a press conference here. Also present was Kelantan police chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi.

Nomination for the by-election is set for July 6 and polling on July 14.

The by-election was being held following the death of its Pas assemblyman Ismail Yaacob on May 22.

Aziz hoped the by-election would be trouble-free just like the Penanti by-election. He said about 400 EC officials would be stationed at Manik Urai for the by-election.