KUALA BESUT, July 24 – The provocations from the opposition, who used harsh and insulting words against the Barisan Nasional (BN) workers, did not affect the morale of the BN workers from carrying out their tasks in the by-election here.
BN by-election deputy director Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said despite small disturbances taking place, mostly by opposition supporters from outside or ‘election tourists’, it did not affect BN workers as they were trained to face them.
“They (opposition) made a lot of noise and uttered sarcastic and slanderous remarks to help their candidate, which is out of place during Ramadan,” he told Bernama after visiting the polling centre at SK Bukit Puteri, here today.
He said in his visit to all District Voting Centres (PDM) from 7.30am to 11am, he found BN workers were able to carry out their tasks smoothly.
Idris, who is also the Second Education Minister, believed the disruptive culture was committed by the ‘election tourists’ and not local residents who already knew one another.
Nevertheless, he said, overall the polling process was under control due to the efficiency of the police.
He said about 30 percent of voters had come out to vote, as at 10am.
He expected 75 to 76 percent would vote compared to 83 percent at the 13th general election as many voters working elsewhere could not get leave to vote.
A Bernama survey also found several state leaders including Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said, visiting polling centres.
At PDM SK Kampung Nangka, Ahmad was seen with Idris meeting voters and also helping in pushing wheelchairs of infirmed voters.
– BERNAMA
