KUCHING: The Election Commission (EC) has reminded voters, especially senior citizens, to not give their identity cards to unauthorised people because it may prevent them from voting on polling day.
EC chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Hashim Abdullah said voters should also not allow their fingers to be marked with indelible ink or any other type of ink before going to the polling streams to cast their votes.
“Those who arrive at polling centres without identity cards will not be allowed to vote. Voters whose fingers are marked with indelible ink before casting their ballot papers will not be allowed to vote on Saturday,” he told reporters after visiting ballot boxes for the Batu Kitang seat at Majlis Perbandaran Padawan, here today.
Mohd Hashim said the identity card is an important document to proof that the voter is the right person to carry out his or her obligation as a Malaysian citizen.
He said “Voters will be screened, including their fingers, to ensure voters are free from any obstacles that can prevent them from voting.”
“Voters who refuse to have their fingers marked with indelible ink would not be issued ballot papers,” he said.
The EC has also advised employers to give their employees adequate time off to cast their votes on May 7 because employers are bound by subsection 25(1) of the Election Offences Act 1954 to release their employees and those restraining their employees from exercising their rights can be fined up to RM5,000 or jailed up to one year in accordance with subsection 25(3) of the Election Offences Act, 1954.
He said there will be 1,754 polling centres and 2,789 polling streams for the 1,085,087 registered voters in Sarawak to carry out their voting rights for 80 of the 82 seats that will be contested.
The Bukit Kota and Bukit Sari seats have already been won by BN candidates Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail and Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan respectively, when nominations closed on April 25.
All polling centres will be opened at 8am and closed at 5pm.
“Though the EC estimates a 75 percent voter turnout, the percentage may go up to 80 percent,” he said adding that the election campaign had been going on smoothly without any major incidents.--BERNAMA