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PUTRAJAYA: The voting date for the Batu Sapi by-elections was set for December 5.
In announcing this, the Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Datuk Abdul Ghani Salleh (Photo) He said a special meeting had set the nomination day for November 23.
The early voting to elect a new legislator for the parliamentary constituency in Sabah is on December 1.
Abdul Ghani said that direct house-to-house campaigns, walks and ceramah would not be allowed during the campaign period to prevent Covid-19 from spreading further.
“We encourage candidates for this by-election to campaign through social media platforms as direct campaigning exposes those involved to the virus,” he said on Tuesday (October 13).
During the 12-day campaign, candidates can only operate one command center and no mini operations centers will be allowed.
Abdul Ghani also said that the EC could not postpone a by-election.
“The Federal Constitution stipulates that the Commission must hold elections within 60 days after the vacancy.
“This can only be postponed if the government declares an emergency.
“For our part, we can raise the issue and make recommendations if the Covid-19 pandemic worsens. But it has to be the government that makes the decision,” he said.
Abdul Ghani also said that the by-elections would require an allocation of more than RM5 thousand due to the Covid-19 situation.
There are 32,962 registered voters in Batu Sapi.
Batu Sapi’s seat was vacated following the death of Datuk Liew Vui Keong on October 2, believed to be due to a lung infection.
The former minister in the Prime Minister’s Department was previously admitted to Jesselton Medical Center for a herniated disc before the September 12 nomination day for the Sabah state elections, and was transferred to Gleneagles Hospital for further medical care.
His condition worsened when he was diagnosed with a lung infection.
Barisan Nasional has said that it will not contest the Batu Sapi by-elections to prevent further spread of Covid-19.
Parti Cinta Sabah had also declared that it would not participate in the next elections.
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