SEREMBAN – The police are continuing to take statements from witnesses over the appearance of several racist provocative banners in the Rantau state constituency where a by-election is being held.
The police media relations officer for the Rantau by-election, DSP Ahmad Jamaludin, said the police had received a report from an “affected party” and three reports from people denying having put up the banners.
The banners, which were put up at several places, advised the constituents against voting for “the candidate of Indian descent”, with the reference to the candidate, Dr S. Streram of Pakatan Harapan (PH), made in a provocative manner.
Ahmad spoke to reporters after taking a look at the early voting at the Rantau police station near here today. A total of 110 of the 118 early voters in Rantau are to cast their ballots between 8 am and noon today, 74 military personnel and their spouses at the Sendayan air base and 36 police personnel and their spouses at the Rantau police station. The remaining eight are voting by post.
He also said that up to yesterday in the election campaign that started on March 30, the police received 73 reports and have initiated 15 investigations under the Election Offences Act 1954 and the Penal Code.
“A total of 238 applications for ceramah (talk) permits were received and approved,” he said.
On polling on Saturday, Ahmad said 1,100 police officers and personnel will be deployed to all the polling stations and the vote-tallying centre.
He advised voters to turn up early at the polling stations.
The by-election is a four-cornered contest among anaesthetist Dr Streram; UMNO deputy president and former Negeri Sembilan menteri besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan of Barisan Nasional (BN) and two independent candidates, namely R. Malarvizhi, a housewife, and Mohd Nor Yassin, a former lecturer.
It has been necessitated by the Federal Court dismissal of an appeal filed by Mohamad to set aside the Nov 16 Seremban Election Court decision declaring his unopposed victory in the 14th General Election (GE14) null and void.
In GE14, Mohamad was declared the winner of the seat after Dr Streram was prohibited from entering the nomination centre to submit his nomination papers because he did not have a pass issued by the EC.
-BERNAMA
