To the EC and Police He Goes To Reveal What is Happening

GEORGE TOWN: Parti Cinta Malaysia vice-president Huan Cheng Guan has lodged several reports with the police and Election Commission against the DAP for breaching election regulations by wooing voters on by-election day in Bukit Gelugor.

Huan showed video evidence of several DAP elected representatives, wearing party colours, talking to voters near polling stations.

He had a public row with DAP leader Phee Boon Poh on the campaigning by the party’s volunteer patrol squad (PPS).

The incident happened outside polling stations in Air Itam and Paya Terubong as the PCM leader was going on his rounds to observe the balloting process this morning.

Huan told Phee that the DAP leader and his PPS members that it was against the law to woo voters on election day.

“I told him that being a state executive councillor he should not be doing this.

“The rules are clear that there should not be any campaigning on polling day,” Huan told newsmen later about his quarrel with Phee.

Phee, however, denied that he and the PPS members were campaigning.

He said the PPS team was at the polling station to oversee a smooth balloting process.

Huan has already lodged a police report and plans to do same with the Election Commission tomorrow.

He said he had video, audio and photographic evidence to prove his claims.

Huan said the voting process was going on smoothly in other places.

Later, DAP candidate Ramkarpal Singh Deo, who visited SMK Air Itam at about 10am, said he was not aware about the PPS campaigning or PCM complaints.

He said he was confident of winning but remained concerned about the low-voter turnout, which would dent his chance for a big win.

“We have done our work and it is now up to the people to decide,” he added.

Ramkarpal said his team was keeping watch on probable election irregularities that might take place.

“So far I have not received any complaint,” he said.

He later shook hands with independent candidate Nabi Bux Mohamed Nabi Abd Sathar, 63.

The other independent candidate in the four-cornered battle for Bukit Gelugor is lawyer Abu Backer Sidek Mohamad Zan.

Abu Backer announced yesterday evening that he was pulling out from the race.

But EC had refused to accept it, pointing out that Abu Backer cannot do it under the election rules.

The voting process, which started at 8am, for Bukit Gelugor by-election is going smoothly in all 17 polling stations so far.

Many observers predicted a low-voter turnout of 65%, far lower than the all-time high of 86% during the 2013 general election.

Bukit Gelugor has 82,431 voters comprising 61,267 (74.33%) Chinese, 11,913 (14.46%) Malays, 8,848 (10.73%) Indians and 403 (0.49%) others.

The by-election is being held following the death of incumbent MP and Ramkarpal’s father, Karpal Singh in an accident near Kampar, Perak on April 17.

The late Karpal polled 55,839 votes to score a majority victory of 41,778 votes against BN candidate Teh Beng Yeam, who garnered 14,061 in the 13th General Election.