Johor bahru: The Election Commission (EC) has issued 24,677 postal ballot papers to eligible voters for the 16th Johor State Election. EC secretary Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus confirmed that election officials across all 56 state constituencies carried out the issuance today, as mandated by Regulation 3 of the Election (Postal Voting) Regulations 2003.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, 23,288 postal ballot papers were issued to voters under the Form 1A category, which includes election officials, EC members and officers, police personnel, military personnel, and media practitioners. Additionally, 1,044 postal ballot papers were distributed under the Form 1B category for Malaysians residing abroad, while 345 were issued under the Form 1C category for agencies and organizations.

Khairul Shahril stated that representatives of all contesting candidates were present during the issuance of postal ballot papers. He urged postal voters to correctly mark their ballot papers and complete the Identity Declaration Form (Form 2) before returning them to the respective constituency returning officers by 5 pm on polling day, July 11.

Furthermore, Khairul Shahril emphasized the importance of maintaining the confidentiality of votes and advised voters against taking photos of postal ballot papers or sharing them on social media. A total of 172 candidates are vying for positions in the Johor state election, with early voting scheduled for July 7.