The Election Commission (EC) will tighten its operating procedures for the coming by-election in Galas, Kelantan.

permatang pauh by election aftermath reflection 280808 11 This, according to the commission’s deputy secretary Noordin Che Ngah, is to prevent any fracas among supporters of opposing candidates that occurred in previous by-elections, such as in Permatang Pauh ( right )

One of the measures being implemented, Noordin said, is to triple the distance between the supporters of the opposing candidates.

Police will maintain a gap of at least 180m between groups of supporters of opposing candidates  in front of the Galas nominations centre.

“The distance of 60m, like in previous by-elections, won’t work. At that distance you can still throw mineral bottles at one another.

NONE “We will increase the distance to 180m and the police will be on duty,” he told reporters during a briefing for the media at the official Galas by-election media centre in Gua Musang today.

“I have been to elections in Indonesia and Thailand, where there is nothing like what we see in Malaysia. There are policemen there, but there is no tension. Even their posters are not as widespread as ours. You can’t even tell that a by-election is going on.

“In developed countries like New Zealand, you can hardly see the police at all,” Noordin said.

He advised all parties contesting not to bring too many supporters to the nomination centres, so as to avoid unwanted incidents, and to get to the venue only via the prescribed routes and to follow the instructions of the officials in charge.

EC: No PKR, DAP symbols

NONE He also warned supporters of the contestants against breaching electoral regulations, such as the ban on the pondok pana s to canvas for votes.

“We do not want happenings similar to those that occurred in the Hulu Selangor by-election, where candidates alleged they were late because they were held up by the police,” said Noordin.

Candidates, their proposers and supporters must be at the nomination centres at the prescribed times, from 10am to 11am, he said.

BN supporters are to march from their operations centre in Bukit Cekati while PAS will assemble and start out from the Tengku Muhammad Faiz Petra Mosque.

Both groups plan to arrive from opposing directions for better traffic and crowd control.

NONE On a related matter, Noordin said the EC would only allow PAS' party symbol during the campaigning period in Galas - not that of its Pakatan Rakyat coalition partners.

This was because Pakatan had not been accorded official EC recognition. However, the symbols of Umno and the other BN component parties would be allowed to used as they have been accredited by the commission.

Noordin said enforcement teams made up of police and EC officers have been empowered to take down flags, banners or posters that breach electoral regulations.

- Additional reporting by Salhan K Ahmad