KUALA LUMPUR: The Election Commission (EC) today issued Covid-19 guidelines for the Aug 29 Slim by-election which will see stricter Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) than last month's Chini by-election.
EC secretary Ikmalrudin Ishak said the SOPs will apply to all involved in the by-election, namely the officers, candidates along with their supporters and workers as well as Slim voters.
The main rules that must be adhered to are the wearing of face masks, practising physical distancing, using hand sanitiser and body temperature screening process.
"The guidelines will be strictly implemented in all the electoral processes such as officer briefings, nomination day, the process of printing and reviewing ballot papers, production and calculation of postal votes, ballot box contents review, throughout the campaigning period, voting day and the official summation of votes," he said in a statement.
For the process of nomination papers submission, Ikmalrudin said candidates are not allowed to march together with their supporters to the nomination centre or conduct any group activities.
Those allowed to enter the nomination centre are the candidates, a proposer and a supporter, Ikmalrudin said.
Command centres are allowed during the campaigning period but Ikmalrudin said the strict Covid-19 guidelines must be adhered to.
For ceramah, Ikmalrudin said the maximum participants allowed to attend at a time is 250 and obtaining a police permit is compulsory.
"For house-to-house visits, the candidate or (his or her) representatives are not allowed to touch or shake hands with the homeowners.
"Candidates are encouraged to maximise online campaign methods such as using social media platforms," he said.
According to Ikmalrudin, the EC will deploy two of its electoral campaign monitoring teams to observe candidates' activities and ensure they follow the strict guidelines issued by the commission.
On voting day, Ikmalrudin said it is compulsory for voters to wear face masks, observe physical distancing, get their body temperatures recorded and use hand sanitiser provided by the EC at polling centres.
He said voters with symptoms or high temperatures will only be allowed to vote at a special tent which will be observed by Health Ministry officers.
"For Person Under Surveillance (PUS) and Person Under Investigation (PUI) who wish to vote, they must first obtain permission from the district health officer," Ikmalrudin said.
The EC has set nomination day for the Slim by-election on Aug 15, early voting on Aug 25 and polling day on Aug 29.