Police expecting smooth polling
The police are not expecting any trouble tomorrow but in the event something breaks out, they are prepared to quell it.
The police are not expecting any trouble tomorrow but in the event something breaks out, they are prepared to quell it.
Penang chief police officer Ayub Yaakob today said the police had sufficient extra security measures in place to spot and stop any trouble.
"We are not expecting anything chaotic tomorrow as we have taken measures (to ensure polling goes on smoothly). We also have enough men to handle the situation," he told reporters today.
Ayub ( photo: far left ) was met by reporters at a joint press conference with Election Commission secretary Kamaruzaman Mohd Noor at the Tuanku Bainun Teachers' Training College in Permatang Pauh. The college will be used as the counting centre tomorrow.
He said the police have implemented a series of additional security measures to ensure a smooth polling and repeatedly reminded party supporters not to take law into their own hands.
According to Ayub, from 2pm today, heavy vehicles will be banned from entering Permatang Pauh to avoid traffic congestion while special spots will be designated for buses ferrying voters.
He said these buses will have to park at the designated spots and thereafter the voters will be ferried by the political party's car to go to the polling station.
More than 5,000 police personnel will be deployed on duty tomorrow, while more than 30 tow-trucks are ready to tow away illegally parked cars, he said.
‘Take care of your IC'
The state police chief also reminded the voters to take care of their identity cards so that it is not misused by irresponsible quarters for the purpose of voting.
Campaigners, meanwhile, are reminded to end their election campaign by midnight today.
He warned the party supporters not to take laws into their own hand and stressed that it was the police's duty to maintain public order or to deal with security issue.
Earlier, EC's Kamaruzaman has warned party supporters not to prevent voters from exercising their voting right tomorrow as such an attempt was illegal.
He was referring to previous acts of the opposition to stop buses ferrying voters, which they claimed are sued to ferry in ‘phantom' voters.
Twenty eight polling stations will be opened from 8am to 5pm tomorrow. The result is expected to be announced between 9.30pm and 10.30pm, according to the EC.
