Over 600 cops to ensure smooth Chini polls

PEKAN: MORE than 600 police officers and personnel will be on duty to ensure a smooth voting process during the Chini state by-election on Saturday.

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ismail Mohamed Said said all 600 have been briefed to ensure troublefree polls and implementation of standard operating procedures (SOP) in view of the Covid-19 threat.

“Pekan district police headquarters personnel will monitor developments during the campaign period, polling day and the votetallying process as well as announcement of results.

“Throughout the campaign period we have deployed 400 policemen, while on polling day we will station over 600 personnel to help ensure SOP compliance,” he said after chairing a Chini state by-election task force meeting involving personnel from the police, Health Ministry, local authority and the Election Commission.

Media practitioners were also briefed on polling day news coverage guidelines, he said.

The Chini state seat by-election will see a three-cornered contest between Barisan Nasional candidate Mohd Sharim Md Zain, 41, and two independent candidates, Tengku Datuk Zainul Hisham Tengku Hussin, 64, and Mohd Shukri Mohd Ramli,

49.

It was necessitated by the death of incumbent Datuk Seri Abu Bakar Harun, 60, on May 7 due to a heart attack.

There are 20,990 registered voters in the constituency.