Polls watchdog Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections (Mafrel) today complained that PKR party workers were breaching election laws by carrying out tacit campaigning on the polling day.

Mafrel regional coordinator Ong Boon Keong claimed that the watchdog observers have spotted PKR cars decorated with party flags and logos ferrying voters to polling stations.

penanti_pkr booth_31052009 He also alleged that there some PKR electoral booths ( pondok panas ) displaying party flags and logos.

Mafrel observers spotted such booths near polling stations in Guar Perahu, Penanti, Tanah Liat and Berapit.

"It still amounts to a form of campaigning to influence the voters.

"Indeed, the election law is explicit that a contesting party cannot sponsor vehicles to ferry voters to and from voting centres," he said.

A check by Malaysiakini found that independent candidate Nai Khan Ari had also deployed several cars and motorcycles to ferry voters.

penanti by election 310509 nai khan ari car.jpg These vehicles were found displaying his posters and election symbol - the Wau Bulan (Kelantan kite).

EC to close en eye

However Election Commission chief Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said that the commission would not be taking any action against PKR for breaching the election laws in setting up the booths.

"We are disappointed with them but we will not be taking any actions as we want to educate them to follow our rulings.

"Furthermore, this is the first time we have implemented this ruling," he said.

The EC had previously ruled that it would strictly implement election laws that prohibited campaigning on polling day. It said contesting parties could not set up electoral booths and stop sponsoring vehicles to ferry voters.

penanti by election 310509 mansor othman visit polling center 2.jpg The by-election is a four-cornered fight among PKR's Mansor Othman ( right ) and three independent candidates - former PKR leader Aminah Abdullah, former Gerakan youth leader Nai Khan Ari and motivational expert Kamarul Ramizu Idris.

The seat fell vacant after the incumbent Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin, resigned on April to further his studies, after having stepped down earlier as Penang deputy chief minister and state executive councillor.

The constituency has 15,384 voters, of which 72.68 per cent are Malays, 24.22 per cent Chinese, 2.39 per Indians and 0.71 per cent other races.

Not true, says PKR

However in an immediate reaction, PKR's election director Saifuddin Nasution refuted Mafrel's claims of 'tacit campaigning'.

He pointed out that the EC officials and police would have taken instant action on the party workers if they were found infringing the election laws.

He said that based on his own assessment and feedback from party workers, no PKR electoral booths near polling stations have put party banners, candidate Mansor's posters or logos.

car with pkr poster 310509 He also denied PKR workers ferrying voters in cars to polling stations were wooing voters to cast for Mansor.

He said he had travelled all around the constituency since morning and monitored several polling stations, including in Guar Perahu, Penanti, Teluk Wang and Mengkuang.

"So far I have not received any complaints from EC, police or anyone else that PKR had been carrying out tacit campaign on polling day.

"Under the election laws, the relevant bodies can take immediate action against us.

"The fact they did not take action confirmed that we had not breached any election laws," the Machang parliamentarian told Malaysiakini .

He also said that he did not want to get entangled in a public spat with Mafrel over the issue.

He said Cental Seberang Tengah district police chief Mohd Shah Mohd Husin had indeed thanked him and PKR for extending full cooperation in ensuring smooth flow of the balloting process so far.

Umno's absence makes it dull

On another matter, Ong also said that voters were slowly coming out to vote. He added that by 11.30am, most voting centres have recorded about an average of 30 percent turnout.

According to Ong, the Jit Sin Chinese school polling centre, which is situated in a pre-dominantly Chinese area, has recorded a turnout of 32 percent as of 11.30am.

penanti by election polling day 310509 polling centre.jpg Many Penanti voters have lamented that the absence of Umno and Barisan Nasional candidature at the by-election had turned the contest into a non-event.

They cited this as being the main reason behind the slow balloting process so far.

Drawing similarities to an exciting action packed Hollywood movie, young voter Annuar Ismail, 23, said an intriguing electoral contest needed to have a popular hero and a talented, cunning villian.

He likened PKR's Mansor as the hero battling with himself as the villains have stayed home.

"Umno is the necessary evil we need for a thrilling electoral challenge. Without it, it's dull," he lamented.

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