Kota kinabalu: The Election Commission (EC) has advised prospective candidates intending to contest the Kinabatangan parliamentary by-election and the Lamag state by-election to conduct early checks on their nomination papers. EC secretary Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus emphasized the importance of these checks, which can be carried out at the office of the Election Returning Officer or the Sabah State Election Office before nomination day on Saturday. He also urged candidates to make their deposit payments in advance.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Khairul Shahril stated that the payment receipt must be presented on nomination day as proof of payment. Nomination papers need to be submitted between 9 am and 10 am by the candidate, proposer, and seconder, or any two of them, or by any one of them, to the Returning Officer at the nomination centre at Dewan Sri Lamag.
Khairul Shahril further explained that prospective candidates representing political parties must submit a letter of authorization for the use of the party symbol when submitting their nomination papers. He also noted that candidates who have paid the election campaign material deposit are subject to the Election Offences Act 1954 (Act 5) and local authority by-laws.
The EC has urged all prospective candidates and political parties to comply with the laws, regulations, codes of ethics, and directives issued by the EC, local authorities, and the Royal Malaysia Police to ensure a smooth and orderly nomination process. These by-elections are necessary following the death of their incumbent, Datuk Seri Bung Mokhtar Radin, 66, on Dec 5 last year.
Polling for the Kinabatangan parliamentary and Lamag state by-elections is scheduled for Jan 24, with early voting on Jan 20. The electoral roll includes 48,722 voters, comprising 48,526 ordinary voters and 196 police personnel and their spouses registered as early voters. The by-elections will involve 36 regular polling centres with 117 polling channels, and one early voting centre with one early voting channel.