Mahkota polls: Johor police chief confirms BN candidate has no criminal record

KLUANG: Barisan Nasional’s Mahkota candidate Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah has no criminal record, says Johor police chief Comm Datuk M. Kumar.

In response to claims made by Perikatan Nasional's Badrul Hisham Shaharin, also known as Chegubard, Comm Kumar stated he was unaware of the allegations and their implications.

"Investigations have been conducted, and as mentioned in Kluang OCPD Asst Comm Bahrin Mohd Noh's statement, the candidate has no criminal record," he said after briefing police officers on duty for polling day.

Earlier on Friday (Sept 27), Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said he had met with Comm Kumar, who confirmed that Syed Hussien has no criminal or court case as claimed.

On Thursday (Sept 26), Chegubard alleged that Syed Hussien had previously been arrested, stating during a ceramah in Taman Sri Kluang that he had documentation to support his assertion.

Chegubard later doubled down on his claims and revealed the identity of the policeman who lodged the report, along with details of Syed Hussien's apparent arrest.

Ahmad Zahid clarified that the incident in question occurred when Syed Hussien was in his 20s while defending a blind person from harassment and assault.

Regarding the by-election campaign, Comm Kumar said police received 166 applications from political parties to conduct walkabouts and ceramah, all of which were approved.

“During this period, six police reports have been filed, four of which are under investigation. Please give the police some space to carry out these investigations thoroughly,” he added.

Comm Kumar assured that police are prepared for polling day on Saturday (Sept 28), including having contingency plans in place for potential flash floods.

A total of 1,399 police officers and personnel will be on duty to ensure a smooth voting process.

“There are 20 polling centres with 109 voting channels in the Mahkota state constituency. Each channel will have one police officer assigned, along with an additional 10 personnel at each polling station, not including traffic officers.

"We have also placed 38 police officers and personnel on standby, including assets like lorries and boats, in case of flash floods,” he noted.

Comm Kumar urged voters to come out early, as voting hours are from 8am to 5pm, and to be mindful of the unpredictable afternoon weather.

He also called on both candidates and their supporters to continue cooperating with security agencies to ensure a smooth polling process.

Syed Hussien is facing off against Perikatan candidate Mohamad Haizan Jaafar in the Mahkota by-election.