PETALING JAYA: Covid-19 positive voters will be given priority to cast their ballots at polling stations this Nov 19, says the Election Commission (EC) in releasing guidelines for the upcoming polls.
"Covid-19 positive voters will be accompanied by Health Ministry officials up to the door leading to the polling stream and given priority to avoid mingling with other voters," it said.
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The guidelines were issued by the EC to the National Security Council (NSC) in a letter sighted by The Star on Tuesday (Nov 15).
The letter dated Nov 9, was signed by EC operations deputy secretary Abang Irzarruddin Abang Alias to the attention of NSC director-general Datuk Rodzi Md Saad.
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The guidelines noted that Covid-19 positive voters will be required to fill a health form sent to them through an SMS a day before polling day.
"Covid-19 positive voters must report their infection status to the health ministry officials stationed at the entrance to the polling stations.
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"The health official will check the Covid-19 risk status on the voter's MySejahtera profile," the guideline stated.
The guidelines also stated that Covid-19 positive voters must wear their face masks during the entire time while at the polling station.
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However, they will be required to remove their face mask temporarily for identification purposes when casting their ballots at their respective polling booths.
"Covid-19 positive voters must use hand sanitisers before and after dipping their fingers into the edible ink used for the election," it said.
The guidelines also noted that Covid-19 positive voters are barred from using public transportation when travelling to the polling stations and must immediately leave and self-quarantine after voting.
"Covid-19 positive voters are encouraged to come out to vote two hours before voting ends at their respective polling stations," the guidelines added.
Covid-19 positive voters are also required to practise social distancing while at the polling stations, including bringing their own hand sanitisers.
Based on the EC website, the time for voting in Peninsular Malaysia is from 8am to 6pm, while for Sabah and Sarawak, it is from 7.30am to 5.30pm.
The EC has also included an additional column titled “Encouraged time to vote” as a guide for voters.
The EC also stated that candidates and their election campaign workers who are Covid-19 positive, are not allowed to carry out physical campaigning but only through online platforms during the quarantine period.
On Tuesday (Nov 15), EC deputy chairman Dr Azmi Sharom said that voters who are confirmed positive for Covid-19 will be separated from others when they come to cast their ballots to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.
He confirmed that election workers would also ensure that the voting process for Covid-19 positive voters would be done as quickly as possible.
Azmi said it is crucial for the infected individuals to inform Health Ministry officials of their status before coming to the polling centre.
He told reporters this when inspecting the early voting process at the Putrajaya police headquarters.
A total of 146,737 military personnel and their spouses, as well as 118,794 police personnel and their spouses began early voting nationwide on Tuesday.
Some 21.7 million registered voters are eligible to cast their ballots in GE15, of which 1.39 million are Undi18 voters between 18 and 20 years old.
