Kota kinabalu: More than 12,000 police personnel will be deployed for duty during the 17th Sabah State Election set to take place on Saturday, as confirmed by Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun. All necessary preparations, including discussions with the Election Commission, have been completed to ensure a smooth and secure polling process.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Jauteh emphasized that the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) is fully prepared to maintain safety and public order during the election. He highlighted the importance of early voting, which allows PDRM personnel to ensure a smooth, orderly, and safe polling day on November 29.

Jauteh, who cast his ballot at the Senior Officers’ Mess of the Sabah Contingent Police Headquarters, noted that the local police force has been reinforced with over 1,200 additional personnel from Sarawak and Bukit Aman. He expressed satisfaction with the smooth running of campaign activities and thanked all parties for their cooperation and adherence to the established rules and procedures.

Despite receiving 85 police reports, the offences reported mainly involved common issues, such as misuse of social media, vandalism, and damage to campaign materials, which did not impact the overall conduct of the election campaign. Of these reports, 53 investigation papers have been opened by PDRM.

Jauteh also mentioned that 7,288 permits have been issued to parties involved in the state election campaign as of midnight last night, with no issues or complaints regarding the issuance of campaign permits. The early voting process today involved 24,426 electors, including police and military personnel and their spouses.