An election commission officer provides hand sanitiser to a voter at the SK Durian Tunggal polling station in Durian Tunggal during the Melaka state election November 20, 2021. – Picture by Shafwan Zaidon
MELAKA, Nov 20 — Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) Ayer Molek candidate Mohamad Rafee Ibrahim has cried foul over one of the coalition’s polling agents allegedly being kicked out of a polling centre earlier today.
In a press conference today, Mohamad Rafee explained that an Election Commission (EC) presiding officer for the voting centre in SK Bendahara Seri Maharaja, Kandang allegedly asked the polling agent to leave the centre as said agent has supposedly been there for two hours.
The alleged incident had taken place at 10.15am.
Rafee briefly explained that in actuality, a polling agent is meant to serve a minimum of two hours instead of being capped at merely two hours in a polling centre.
Unsure whether the incident is born out of negligence or human error, Rafee stated that a police report has been lodged on the matter and will let the authorities investigate the matter.
“I’m not sure whether it is a matter that he did not understand (the act) or him acting deliberately, so that is up to our legal team to take the matter further, and my representative has lodged a police report on the matter,” he said.
Rafee also said he was perplexed that only PH’s polling agent was asked to leave but not agents from other parties.
“That is the weird part,why it happened. Why is it only us?” he said.
Rafee also stated that in the absence of the PH’s polling agent, there is a possibility of cheating.
Rafee stated that the matter has been “resolved” with the EC however expresses that such matter should not have happened again.
Also present was PKR head of legal affairs G Manivannan who cited the issue falls under Section 14(1A) of the Election Offence Act 1954 where it stated a polling agent or counting agent of a candidate appointed shall be be present at the polling station or shall attend the counting of votes at the polling station for at least two hours and his replacement shall only be admitted to that polling station on the expiration of the two-hour period.
Manivannan however explained that they will continue with the legal process despite resolving the matter with EC as to ensure fair treatment throughout the election process.
Rafee also stated that he has been notified of an incident of party supporters trying to canvas for votes in the same polling centre and have quickly alerted EC on the issue.
“To their credit, they have asked these individuals to clear away from the centre,” he said.
Polling is due to close at 5.30pm.