By MIKE PAUL
MELAKA, Nov 13 — Campaigning for the Melaka state election must stop at 11.59pm tonight, with the Election Commission (EC) hoping about 70 per cent of voters turn out when polling opens tomorrow (Nov 14) and full results expected before midnight.
Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said at his weekly press conference in Putrajaya today that all candidates must cease campaign activities, including on social media, by the deadline. He said no new posts that could be read as campaigning should appear on candidates’ accounts from midnight through polling day.
“Put your messages up early,” Fahmi said, adding that the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) would continue monitoring for any breach of the law, including online.
675,166 Voters, 79 Candidates, 28 Seats
According to the EC, 675,166 ordinary electors are eligible to vote tomorrow, out of 687,697 registered voters in total. A total of 79 candidates are contesting the 28 state seats: Pakatan Harapan (24), Barisan Nasional (23), Parti Bersama Malaysia (16), Bersatu (7), Perikatan Nasional (5), Putra (1) and three independents.
Early voting for security personnel and their spouses was held on Tuesday (Nov 10), with the EC dashboard showing a physical turnout of 94.96 per cent, or 9,417 voters.
EC Targets 70 Per Cent
EC deputy chairman Dr Azmi Sharom said the commission was aiming for around 70 per cent turnout, describing it as a good figure for a statewide poll.
“We are hoping for a 70 per cent (turnout) as this is a state election, not a by-election,” he told reporters after inspecting the ballot box verification process for the Merlimau constituency at Politeknik Merlimau in Jasin.
He said the timing of the full results would depend on ballot boxes reaching the official tallying centres and on the weather, but the EC generally expected them to be known before midnight.
In the previous Melaka state election in 2021, held under Covid-19 campaign restrictions, final turnout was 65.85 per cent, short of the 70 per cent the EC had projected then.
Rain Forecast, Real-Time Turnout Data
Both Fahmi and Azmi urged voters to head to polling centres early, as the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has forecast afternoon thunderstorms. Fahmi also reminded those travelling back to Melaka to vote to drive carefully, get enough rest and keep within speed limits.
The EC will use its Optical Character Recognition-Voter Attendance (OCR-VA) system at every polling stream across the 28 constituencies. The system scans identification documents to record attendance, allowing turnout figures to be shown on the EC website in real time rather than updated hourly. Azmi said it has no effect on the secrecy of the vote.
Fahmi urged the public to rely on the EC’s official Facebook, Threads and X accounts and on verified mainstream media for updates, cautioning that dubious accounts may circulate content of questionable authenticity. Voters can check their polling centre and stream through the official EC website.
In the 2021 polls, Barisan Nasional won 21 seats to form the state government, while Pakatan Harapan won five and Perikatan Nasional two. TNS News earlier reported on the final 48 hours of the campaign. The vote follows a busy week in national politics, including Anthony Loke’s resignation from the Cabinet.
– TNS News