EC awaiting govt decision on voting by those under Covid-19 quarantine

The Election Commission (EC) is still waiting for the federal government’s decision on whether those under Covid-19 quarantine will be allowed to vote in the Sabah state election.

EC chairperson Abdul Ghani Salleh said the commission was told the matter would be discussed at a federal-level meeting today involving the police, the Health Ministry and the National Security Council.

He said EC would await the government’s decision and see what it could do if this group was allowed to vote.

“We have look into the legal aspect, as early voting is today and polling will be held three days later (on Saturday),” he told reporters after visiting an early voting centre at the Senior Officers’ Mess of the state police headquarters in Kepayan, Kota Kinabalu today.

Abdul Ghani said this when asked if another date would be set for Covid-19 patients and others under quarantine to cast their ballots.

Earlier, Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador said 270 police personnel in Sabah could not participate in early voting today because they were under quarantine.

A total of 16,877 people are eligible to cast their ballots in early voting, and as of 10 am today, 35 per cent of them have voted. Early voting will close at 5 pm today. - Bernama

Follow Malaysiakini's coverage of the Sabah state election here.