Election academy branches to be increased — Election Commision

KUALA LUMPUR: The Election Commission ( EC) will open more branches of the Election Academy at the zone or state levels to help the public understand better the functions of the EC and electionrelated matters.

Its chairman Tan Sri Mohd Hashim Abdullah said the academy would no longer just hold courses for EC staff but will meet the people to explain the various stages of an election.

“We at the EC will strengthen the academy and explain to the public, especially the younger generation the workings of an election, how electoral boundaries are drawn up and how registration (of voters) is done.

“This is so that the people are not left out of the election process and what the EC is continually doing,” he said in an interview programme ‘A Session with the EC’ aired on TV1 on Wednesday night.

The Election Academy was launched in 2007 to help EC officers and staff as well as members of political parties create greater awareness among the public, especially students and voters of the importance of their involvement in the election process.

The academy will also hold briefings for media personnel on the process of the election system as well as the procedure for coverage during the 14th General Election.

These briefings will include a simulation of the balloting and vote counting process at the polling centres on polling day.

Mohd Hashim said the EC would request permission from the Prime Minister’s Department to use vacated government quarters as venues for courses conducted by the academy.

“These quarters are in Kuala Lumpur and we will use them to provide training to the public,” he added. — Bernama