Polling on weekday not uncommon, says EC
PUTRAJAYA: The Election Commission (EC) has maintained that holding the general election on a weekday is not new as it had been done several times before.
The 14th General Election (GE14) will be held on May 9.
EC chairman Tan Sri Mohd Hashim Abdullah said the general elections in 1959, 1982, 1995 and 1999 were held on weekdays.
“We welcome the government’s announcement that May 9 is a public holiday nationwide to allow Malaysians to fulfil their responsibility as voters.
“As such, this should not be an issue.
“In fact, our early announcement on the key dates for GE14 has given enough time for voters to plan their schedules,” he said yesterday.
He urged employers to give their employees enough time for them to cast their votes. He said subsection 25 (1) of the Election Offences Act 1954 made it clear that every employer shall, on the day of voting allow a reasonable period of time for every working employee to cast his vote.
Hashim added that employers could not deduct the pay or other remuneration of employees who took time off to vote on that day.
Employers who refused to allow their workers to exercise their rights as voters could be slapped with a RM5,000 fine or one year’s imprisonment as provided under subsection 25(3) of the Election Offences Act 1954.
The EC also urged employers to exercise discretion and give time off to their workers who had been appointed as onduty officers for GE14.