SEREMBAN: Voters who cast ballots in the Negri Sembilan state election today will be required to surrender their mobile phones before voting, says the Election Commission.
Commission secretary Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus said voters have to place their phones at a designated area after collecting their ballot papers and retrieve them once they have voted.
“The use of mobile phones at polling stations or streams is prohibited.
“Notices and posters banning the use of the gadget will be placed both outside and inside the polling stations to remind voters,” he said in a statement.
Separately, Khairul Shahril also reminded employers to give their employees reasonable time to vote. This provision, he said, was clearly stated in the Election Offences Act 1954.
Voters, he said, were also encouraged to vote according to the “Recommended Voting Time” stated on the MySPR Semak application.
However, they are allowed to cast their ballots at their convenience between 8am and 6pm or according to the officially gazetted hours of their specific polling centre, he added.
Khairul Shahril said voters, candidates and election workers entering the polling centres would also be prohibited from wearing clothing, hats or face masks, or carrying materials that bear the name, logo, symbol or image of any competing party or candidate.
Also prohibited are campaign materials, taglines or slogans that imply support for or lean towards any political ideology.
“Failure to comply with or violating these established provisions may result in the voter being barred from entering the polling centre,” he said.
He also advised voters not to surrender their identity cards to any individual other than the election officials on duty.
“The EC hopes that all parties will comply with election laws, regulations and ethics to ensure a smooth election process and to avoid disrupting public order.
“Any violation of the relevant laws can result in legal action,” he added.
Khairul Shahril said any form of campaigning, including canvassing for votes, both outside polling centres and through social media channels such as Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, TikTok and Threads, is prohibited.
