No special lane for Covid-19 positive voters, says health minister

GE15 | No special lane will be allocated for Covid-19 positive individuals to vote in the 15th general election but they must wear face masks, said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

He said the Election Commission (EC) and his ministry have concluded that it was the best option for these voters, after taking into consideration the resources available and other constraints.

“There cannot be a special lane… we have arrived at the best option after taking into consideration, the available resources and constraints like space and manpower.

“So the standard operating procedure (SOP) is as what has been announced by Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah,” he said after attending the “Selangkah ke Menara Gading and Town hall Ikon Malaysia bersama Khairy Jamaluddin” programme at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Puncak Alam campus, today.

On Monday, Noor Hisham said Covid-19 positive individuals who will cast their ballots in GE15 must wear a face mask, while the use of face masks for other voters is strongly encouraged.

Voters positive for Covid-19 are also not allowed to ride in public vehicles, including e-hailing, he added.

Meanwhile, commenting on a viral recording showing him being scolded by a female Sungai Buloh voter, Khairy said it was the woman's right to do so.

"No problem. We deal with voters and I decided to do a walkabout without filtering. We meet every level of society and not just those who supported us. Of course, there will be those who are disgruntled and they are free to express themselves.

“In yesterday's incident, her sister was asking for assistance which she insisted that we give her immediately. I said that was impossible. I would be committing an election offence,” he explained.

On caretaker prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob's statement today saying the internal Umno election should not be discussed during the GE15 campaign period, Khairy agreed with the Umno vice president because the focus now should be on the national polls.

Khairy said he was only replying to a question from the interview yesterday but added that it was clear that the public would like to see new faces in BN, signifying the rejuvenation of the party.

Ismail Sabri today said the Umno election should not be discussed during the campaigning period because the focus should be fully on ensuring a BN victory in GE15.

- Bernama

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