Haze, heat or floods could prompt contingency plans for Melaka and S’wak
PETALING JAYA: The Election Commission (EC) will assess weather conditions before deciding on measures if the Melaka and Sarawak state elections coincide with extreme weather such as haze or excessive heat.
The EC will seek advice from relevant agencies, including the National Disaster Management Agency and Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia), but said it was too early to determine what specific measures might be required.
EC deputy chairman Prof Datuk Dr Azmi Sharom said any response would depend on the actual situation, with a distinction to be made between merely unfavourable weather and conditions that could affect the conduct of polling.
“We are aware that certain periods of the year may be prone to flooding. In that situation, we make contingency plans in the event flooding happens, and we try our best to ensure that polling centres are not in flood-prone areas,” he said when contacted.
On haze, Azmi said the EC would follow advice from the relevant agencies.
“For example, by encouraging people to wear masks,” he said, adding that heat was an issue the EC had to contend with regardless, given Malaysia’s tropical climate.
“We try hard to ensure there are chairs in shaded areas for Stream 1 and 2, which are meant for the elderly.
“However, it is possible that this can’t be done in all polling centres,” he added.
Asked about the possibility of more serious weather conditions posing a risk to voters or affecting the conduct of polling, Azmi said the EC’s response would depend on the circumstances.
“It all depends on the situation.
“We will of course take feedback from relevant agencies and then examine what is legally permissible for us to do,” he said.
With the Melaka state election due by year-end and the Sarawak poll by April 2027 at the latest, voters and election workers could face hot, dry or hazy conditions depending on the timing of the polls.
MetMalaysia has forecast that El Nino could persist into early 2027, with the phenomenon expected to bring hotter and drier conditions and increase the risk of haze.
The EC has previously advised voters to cast their ballots early when adverse or unpredictable weather is forecast.
