Get your umbrellas ready - Ahmad Maslan tells voters

Amid concerns about the upcoming 15th general election being held during the monsoon season, Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan said voters should get their umbrellas ready and still come out to the polling stations.

Addressing questions on the expected impact on voter turnout, Ahmad, in an interview with Astro Awani said rain should not be a reason to stay home.

“I would like to ask why wouldn't they come out to vote? It’s not like there’s a riot. Everything's peaceful.

“If it rains, use an umbrella. They need to come out to vote,” said the incumbent Pontian MP.

“After we vote we will feel satisfied,” he added.

Ahmad also said he expected a 75 percent voter turnout in GE15, a lower estimate than the official 82.32 percent turnout during the 14th general election in 2018.

In GE14, the turnout totalled 12,229,514 from the registered 14,940,624 voters.

This time, however, a lower 75 percent turnout will still account for more voters than GE14’s figure, with the Election Commission’s official numbers as of August recording 21,186,761 million registered voters - over a million of which will reportedly be first-time voters between 18 to 20 years old.

Ahmad said his estimate was based on the higher number of registered voters, including those with “little interest” in exercising their rights.

“Among those registered, there will be those who do not care about what happens around them.

“They are lazy to take part in the process. But 75 percent is already a high number, so with that turnout there will already be a democratic impact,” he said.

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