KUALA LUMPUR – In an apparent U-turn, the Election Commission (EC) has clarified that voters do not need to be fully vaccinated to cast their ballots in the upcoming Melaka election.
In a statement, EC chairman Datuk Abdul Ghani Salleh denied having made fully vaccinated status a condition for voters, as widely reported in the media.
He added that the EC has yet to finalise the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the state polls.
“The SOPs will also be based on the views and advice of the National Security Council, Health Ministry and police,” he said in a statement.
Earlier, it was reported that among the SOPs for the Melaka polls will be for voters to be fully vaccinated, wear masks and observe physical distancing.
“We have strict SOPs at polling centres. The conditions include completing two doses of the vaccination, wearing face masks and observing physical distancing. Therefore, we urge all voters to get themselves vaccinated… there is still time.
“We will issue the proposed times for voting through our system, just like the MySejahtera application. Voters should avoid going out all together in the morning. If possible, let senior citizens vote in the morning and younger people in the afternoon,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.
He said the guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19 would be based on the recommendations and advice of the National Security Council, Health Ministry and police.
According to data on the CovidNow website, Melaka has fully vaccinated 68.6% of its total population as of 11.59pm yesterday. – The Vibes, October 18, 2021
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