CYBERJAYA: In the event of major floods during the general election, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong can declare an Emergency to postpone voting, say experts.
Election analyst Dr G. Manimaran said there was the possibility that voting could be postponed if floods occur.
“The King can declare an Emergency and postpone campaigning and voting to a later date,” he said when met yesterday at the Malaysian Press Institute’s workshop on understanding Malaysia’s election journey.
He said in December 2021, the King declared a state of emergency in the Gerik parliamentary and Bugaya state assembly seats to avoid polls as a measure to contain the Covid-19 outbreak.
Political analyst Prof Dr Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani said should floods happen in certain areas or states, only voting in the affected areas might be postponed.
“If the floods happen in any flood-prone areas in Kelantan or Terengganu, then depending on the situation, voting in either the whole state or a constituency can be postponed.
“But this can only happen in the event of emergencies such as major flood or health crises, such as with Covid-19 previously,” he said.
He added that it was unlikely that a national level emergency would be imposed due to floods.
“The National Security Council can provide a report to the King when floods occur in an area and could affect voting, then the King can decide to postpone voting there,” he said, adding that voting could be postponed to a later date when the situation has improved.
