Balakong by-election to have three-week campaign period

PUTRAJAYA: The Balakong by-election will have a 21-day campaign period, seven days longer than the 14-day period for the Sungai Kandis by-election.
 
No specific reason was given by the Election Commission (EC) for the extended campaign period, with its deputy chairman Tan Sri Othman Mahmood (pic) only saying that the minimum campaign period for an election is 11 days.

He said polling for the Balakong by-election will be on Sept 8 while nomination is on Aug 8. Early voting will be held on Sept 4.

"The electoral roll has 62,219 registered voters comprising 62,160 ordinary voters, 31 early voters and 28 overseas voters," he told reporters after a special meeting on the by-election at the EC headquarters here Monday (July 30).

The Demesne main hall of the Hulu Langat District/Land Office will be used as nomination and the official vote-tallying centre, he said.

He added that Hulu Langat district officer Datuk Rosli Othman has been appointed as the returning officer, who will be aided by three assistants and 998 personnel.

Othman said the by-election is estimated to cost RM1.5mil.

The Balakong state seat fell vacant following the death of its assemblyman Ng Tien Chee in an accident at KM11.7 of the Grand Saga Expresway on July 20.

In the 14th General Election, Ng retained the seat for the second term after defeating Lim Chin Wah from Barisan Nasional and Mohamad Ibrahim Ghazali of PAS with a 35,538-vote majority.