‘Enough time for parties to get their act right’

PETALING JAYA: Enough time has been given for political parties to put their house in order before polling day, say analysts.

Universiti Sains Malaysia’s political science expert Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian noted that there will be a month-long gap from the date of the Election Commission’s (EC) announcement till polling day.

“This means that there will be at least two weeks before nomination day on Nov 5.

“This is sufficient time for political parties to choose their candidates and decide on seat allocation among themselves.

“This will help the parties avoid politics of hatred and pacify those who are not selected to contest,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Prof Sivamurugan also said that the 14-day campaigning period would also allow fresh faces to better brand themselves and connect with voters in areas that there are contesting in.

“It will not be a problem for candidates who are incumbents and have worked in the constituency.

“But it will be a problem for parachute candidates or fresh faces who are new to the area,” Prof Sivamurugan added.

Yesterday, the EC announced Nov 5 as nomination day and Nov 19 as polling day.

The announcement comes following the dissolution of Parliament on Oct 10, paving the way for the 15th General Election to be held within 60 days or latest Dec 9.

There will be a total of 31 days from the day of announcement of the dates by EC till polling day.

There will be a total of 17 days from the date of EC’s announcement to nomination day and 14 days as campaigning period till polling day on Nov 19.

Meanwhile, National Council of Professors member Prof Dr Nik Ahmad Nik Mahmod said that polling day was set on a suitable date as it falls on a Saturday.

“Saturday is always an ideal day to hold an election and it will suit everyone.

“The two-week campaign period is also not too long or too short,” he said.

He added that more than enough has been given for political parties to “put their houses in order” before polling day.

“Parties have more than a month to settle their candidates and seat allocation. In fact some parties have been doing the draft since last year,” said Prof Nik Ahmad.

“Nonetheless, parties intending to negotiate a pact among themselves may still do it within these few days before Nov 5,” he added.

Dr Azmi Hassan, a senior fellow at Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research, said that choosing Saturday as polling day will allow for a higher voter turnout.

“This will encourage better voter turnout as it will make it easier for outstation voters to return home to their respective states to cast their ballots,” he said

Polling was held on May 9, a Wednesday, during GE14 in 2018, resulting in criticism that it hampered outstation voters from returning home to cast their votes.

Dr Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, said he expected an earlier polling date from the EC to avoid facing the monsoon floods.

However, he added that parties will have ample time to settle their differences, especially on seat allocations, before heading for the polls.