Cops, soldiers to cast their votes today

(NST) – PORT DICKSON: A total of 4,571 police officers and soldiers who are registered as voters in Bagan Pinang will cast their postal votes today at the Army Basic Training Centre here, beginning at 8am.

Election Commission (EC) deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said following their meeting with the Armed Forces superiors, it was decided that only one polling centre would be used.

This decision, he said, was to ensure the voting process progressed smoothly, as well as to make it easier to monitor.

“Thirty-one officers and policemen who are registered here will vote at the Port Dickson district police station. We will also allow Pas to send a representative to witness the voting process,” he said after chairing a meeting on the operations of the state by-election here yesterday.

Wan Ahmad said the EC had set two days for the completion of the postal voting process, but may wrap it up in a day if everything progressed smoothly.

“Not all the officers and soldiers who are registered are staying here as many are serving throughout the country, including at the borders, and we have sent them the ballot papers for them to cast their votes.

“We will give them until 5pm on Oct 11 to return the ballot papers and if they are returned after the deadline, we will not take them into account.”

Apart from the army and police, he said there were also two registered voters who were abroad.

“But to make it more convenient, we have decided not to take their votes into consideration.”

Meanwhile, Wan Ahmad also said that six Barisan Nasional and 14 Pas posters were taken down by three enforcement teams for violation of electoral laws.

“I have stressed that parties that are not contesting will not be allowed to put up campaign material. They have not paid any deposit and, therefore, we will not allow them to put up any material.”