EC: Kemaman by-election a pilot test for new system

KEMAMAN POLLS | A new digital system is being implemented by the Election Commission in the Kemaman by-election as a pilot test to improve the electoral system in the country.

EC chairperson Abdul Ghani Salleh said the system is intended to facilitate his officers in handling the election process and speed up the announcement of the election results.

"We will tell you more about the system later. It is the first time it (the system) is used, so, we see how it goes...with the new system, Insyaallah, we will know the results earlier," he told the media after observing the voting process at the centre at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Geliga today.

On the Kemaman by-election, Ghani said that voter turnout stood at 42 percent as of 1pm.

All 49 polling stations have been open from 8am under sunny conditions despite the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) forecasting rain in several areas throughout the day.

Ghani added that the turnout trend increased by around eight percent every hour - with all streams recording the same momentum.

He also advised voters in Kemaman who have yet to exercise their rights to do so early to avoid rain later in the day as per the weather forecast, reminding the people that voting centres would close at 6pm.

He had earlier targeted voter turnout to reach 70 percent of the 141,043 registered voters, depending on the weather conditions.

There are a total of 141,790 eligible voters in the constituency, including 387 police officers, six military personnel and three of their spouses as well as 12 overseas voters.

All police and military personnel eligible to vote early have fulfilled their responsibility through postal ballots, while three spouses of military personnel voted early at the Kijal police station on Nov 28.

The by-election sees a one-on-one clash between BN candidate Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Noor and Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar representing PAS.

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