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EC expects full polls results to be late due to weather factor

S’WAK POLLS The Election Commission (EC) expects the announcement of the full results of Sarawak’s state election tomorrow to be delayed due to the uncertain weather.

Its chairperson Mohd Hashim Abdullah said that originally it expected all the results to be in by 11pm, but this might change.

“Yes, we were looking at the early results to be in by 6pm and the last by 11pm, but we have to also consider the weather factor.

“We must follow the motto ‘better late but safe’. Whatever time the result comes in is okay. Hope the people understand,” he told a media conference after visiting the vote tallying centre for the Batu Lintang seat at Dewan Masyarakat Kuching.

He said this when asked to comment on whether the helicopter tragedy in Sarawak yesterday would affect the commission’s operations.

The ill-fated helicopter was on flight from Betong to Kuching when it vanished from radar screens at 4.12pm yesterday.

The helicopter was carrying six people, among them Plantation Industries and Commodities Deputy Minister Noriah Kasnon, her husband Asmuni Abdullah and Kuala Kangsar MP Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad.

Also on board were Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry secretary-general Sundaran Annamalai, Noriah’s bodyguard Ahmad Sobri Harun and Filipino pilot Rudolf Rex Ragas.

Pieces of the helicopter were found near the Batang Lupar river in Sebuyau at around 9am today. At noon rescuers retrieved the body of a woman where the debris were found.

Mohd Hashim said he would ensure that his staff did not rush to bring the ballot boxes to the tallying centres because their safety was paramount.

- Bernama

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