SEREMBAN, Aug 1 — Police received 92 reports and opened 24 investigation papers throughout the campaign period for the 16th Negeri Sembilan State Election, which ended at midnight last night.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohd Khalid Ismail said most of the reported offences involved minor cases linked to supporters or party members, while four reports on alleged cash handouts to voters were still under investigation.
“The offences reported were mostly minor, involving acts of mischief such as damage to party banners, flags and posters. “To date, there have been no police reports directly involving candidates, while the overall election process across the 36 state seats has proceeded smoothly and safely,” he told reporters after inspecting the voting process at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) King George V here today.
Also present were Internal Security and Public Order Department director Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri and Negeri Sembilan police chief Datuk Alzafny Ahmad.
Khalid said all the cases were being investigated under the Election Offences Act 1954, the Sedition Act 1948 and the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
Meanwhile, he said police officers had been assigned to record Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor’s statement over an alleged remark touching on racial issues, before completing the investigation papers and submitting them to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for further action.
Khalid said a total of 5,500 police officers and personnel had been deployed to ensure security throughout polling day as well as the post-election period.
He said police had also identified 26 hotspot areas requiring special attention, while two special teams equipped with body-worn cameras were stationed in each state constituency to continuously monitor the situation.
He added that security measures at strategic locations, including the State Government Office and the Palace, would be strengthened to safeguard public order.
A total of 859,760 registered voters, including 7,391 postal voters, were eligible to cast their ballots today to elect representatives for the 36 state seats, while 91.06 per cent of the 14,995 early voters had exercised their right to vote on July 28.
For the latest updates on the 16th Negeri Sembilan state election, visit https://prn.bernama.com/n9.
