[UPDATED] GE15: S’gor declares eve of election as public holiday

SHAH ALAM – The eve of election day will be declared a public holiday in Selangor, announced Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.

Amirudin, who is contesting in the Gombak parliamentary seat, said the decision was made to allow voters to travel back to their respective constituencies and to make early preparations ahead of polling day on November 19.

This took into consideration the high number of registered voters in Selangor as well as those residing in the state but who will be casting their ballots elsewhere.

The announcement will be gazetted officially sometime next week, Amirudin said, after the state government endorses the minutes of today’s meeting, which discussed and agreed on the matter.

“State authorities have the power to declare public holidays. As such, the policy decision made today will be formalised next week. But we have agreed on the matter,” he said in a press conference here today.  

“This offer is more meaningful…not wait (to announce) only when you win,” he said in a dig at Perikatan Nasional’s pledge to provide a one-day public holiday if the coalition wins the 15th general election.

Following the recent implementation of the automatic voter registration and the lowering of voting age to 18, Selangor now has a total of 3.678 million voters. 

Amirudin said he is confident other states under Pakatan Harapan – Penang and Negri Sembilan – will be making similar announcements soon, confirming that the matter has been discussed earlier. 

“It’s only that today, we (Selangor) have finalised the matter,” he said, adding that the declaration will take effect for both public and private sectors. 

Amirudin also hopes the federal government, led by caretaker prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, will similarly declare a nationwide public holiday on November 18 to make it more convenient for voters to cast their ballots the next day.

If this happens, he said the state’s announcement will be revoked to avoid overlapping directives. 

“If they (federal government) are incapable or think it is inappropriate to declare a public holiday (on the eve of polling), then Selangor will (maintain its declaration).”

Selangor’s announcement today, Amirudin added, is made in line with Section 9(1) of the Holiday Act 1951, which accords state authorities power to appoint a state public holiday by notification in the gazette. – The Vibes, November 9, 2022