TUMPAT: Up to 20 Barisan Nasional (BN) banners for the Pengkalan Kubor state by-election were found to have been torn and the metal posts holding them up damaged, according to Tumpat Umno acting head Datuk Rosdi Abdul Aziz.
He said this was realised last night during a patrol by workers of the BN machinery involved in the by-election, polling for which is on Thursday.
Describing the act as 'dirty politics', Rosdi said the fact that the strong metal posts had been damaged showed that it was a well-planned act.
Speaking to reporters here, he advised BN supporters not to retaliate.
The by-election is a three-cornered contest among Mat Razi Mat Ail of the BN, Wan Rosdi Wan Ibrahim of PAS and independent Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary.
It is being held following the death of Datuk Noor Zahidi Omar of the BN on Aug 20.
Noor Zahidi had retained the seat in the general election held last year with a majority of 1,736 votes, beating Saharun Ibrahim of PKR and Izat Bukhary.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission (EC) said today the campaign for the by-election had proceeded smoothly except for some minor problems.
Its chairman, Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof, said during an interview with TV1 that the EC had only received three reports from the police about posters having been put up improperly and of billboards that did not comply with conditions.
He said the outcome of the by-election would be known by 9 pm at the latest on Thursday.
All the 11 polling centres were located not far from one another and also the tallying centre at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bijiwangsa, he said.
He advised voters to verify their polling centres and streams.