Saturday March 8, 2008

First result likely by 7pm

PUTRAJAYA: The first official result of the general election can be expected by 7pm.

Election Commission secretary Datuk Kamaruzaman Mohd Noor said the new system of getting state EC officers to key in the results directly to the headquarters’ data input would “hopefully” help to bring in the official results early.

In the previous general elections, he said the data was entered at the headquarters level and delays normally took place when verifying the results with the states.

“In this (new) way, the returning officer faxes the results to the state office which then enters them directly into the main data input, after which we allow the officer to announce it at the official tallying centre,” he said.

Showing reporters the preparations at the EC operations room here yesterday, Kamaruzaman also said that the result of a simple majority could be expected between 10pm and 11pm.

All systems go: Kamaruzaman (middle) inspecting the final preparations for the big day today at the Election Commission’s operations centre in Putrajaya on Friday.

The EC, he said, would be making announcements for each state when a simple majority is obtained.

He also hinted that the full results should be in early, as the EC would be meeting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at 9am tomorrow.

Kamaruzaman advised voters to go to the polling stations early and not to wear anything that bore the symbols of political parties contesting in the elections as it would be an offence to do so.

In Kuala Lumpur, the police warned political parties to adhere to the rules set by the EC. The public are advised not to cause traffic congestion at polling stations.

City police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Muhhamad Sabtu Osman said that members of political parties who break the rules set by the EC would be arrested.

“Should anyone try to disrupt the polling process, the police will not hesitate to detain the person or group,” he added.

In Kuantan, the state EC is targeting some 90% of the registered voters to come out and vote today, its director Ismail Mohd Yusoff said.

He said in the last general election, some 79% registered voters cast their votes.