Canvassing Booths Not Allowed Within 50m Of Polling Centres Warns Ec Chief

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SEMENYIH: Pondok panas or canvassing booths are not allowed to be set up by political parties on polling day for the Semenyih by-election, not even if it's 50m away from a polling station, says Election Commission (EC) chairman Azhar Azizan Harun
He said only resting huts were allowed to be set up, and should be located at least 50m away from a polling centre
"Those huts cannot be used for any activities to entice voters or campaigning
"The pondok rehat (resting hut) is only for officers to take their break and eat. Party activities are not allowed at all," he added.
At the same time, Azhar also said that the EC has received public complaints regarding "hot huts" being set up around polling stations.
"We have told them to stop their (pondok panas) activities," Azhar told reporters after inspecting the polling station at SMK Bandar Seri Putra.Earlier, PSM central committee member S. Arutchelvan claimed that Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional had continued to canvass for votes at several polling centres."PSM believes in a free, fair and clean election. We stopped our campaigning at midnight and we instructed all our members and volunteers to strictly follow the law. But what is happening today is totally disappointing and SPR is helpless. This is against the spirit of New Malaysia," said Arutchelvan, who is PSM's campaign director for Semenyih.He added that a report has been filed with the EC and photographs were also submitted.Results on the Semenyih polls are expected to be announced by 9pm on Saturday (March 2).The Semenyih by-election was called after Pakatan Harapan assemblyman Bakhtiar Mohd Nor died on Jan 11
It will see a four-cornered fight between Pakatan’s Muhammad Aiman Zainali, Barisan Nasional’s Zakaria Hanafi, Parti Sosialis Malaysia’s Nik Aziz Afiq Abdul and independent candidate Kuan Chee Heng.- Star

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