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EC chief hopes for easing of restrictions for Johor polls

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Election Commission chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh says candidates should at least be able to have walkabouts and meet people in coffeeshops and markets.

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Free Malaysia Today
Abdul Ghani Salleh says the SOPs are still being discussed with the health ministry and the National Security Council.(Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:
Election Commission (EC) chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh is hoping for Covid-19 restrictions to be eased at the upcoming Johor state elections.

Fears that public gatherings could lead to a spread of Covid-19 saw campaigning severely curtailed during the Melaka and Sarawak polls in November and December, respectively.

When asked in an interview with RTM about campaigning rules at the Johor elections, which must take place on or before March 23, Ghani said the SOPs were still being discussed with the health ministry and the National Security Council (MKN).

“We are in Phase 4 (of the national recovery plan), so for me, there is a chance that maybe the health ministry and MKN will agree with me that there has to be an easing of restrictions,” he said.

“It depends on the health ministry… but if they can loosen the restrictions a bit, Alhamdulillah.

“We understand they (political parties) want to campaign, but if you ask me, overall, the candidates should at least be able to have walkabouts and meet people in coffeeshops and markets.”

He added that as the Johor polls would be the first in which voters aged 18 to 20 will cast their ballots in accordance with a 2019 constitutional amendment lowering the voting age from 21 previously, he also felt that candidates would need to introduce themselves to these first-time voters.

It was previously reported that some 6% of the 2.5 million voters in Johor will comprise those aged 18 to 20.

There was a ban on all ceramah and social gatherings during the Melaka elections in November. In Sarawak, ceramah were only allowed in constituencies that did not have internet coverage, with the gatherings limited to two hours.

The EC will meet on Feb 9 to set the dates for nominations and polling for the Johor elections.

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