KUALA BESUT, July 25- All Election Commission (EC) vehicles deployed to observe polling centres in future elections will carry the EC sticker to prevent them from being seized by party supporters.
EC deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said such measure was necessary so that party supporters outside polling stations would not be confused or suspicious of unmarked vehicles entering polling areas.
He was commenting on his experience this morning, upon being apprehended by opposition party supporters while conducting checks at the Sekolah Kebangsaan Kampung Baharu polling centre here.
“It was just a case of mistaken identity, and the supporters were not trying to disrupt the election process. Nevertheless, it was not easy for party leaders to calm them down as they were angry.
“Anyway, their leaders helped me to get out of a sticky situation,” he told reporters when met at the Besut district council hall here Wednesday night.
In the incident, five unmarked vehicles ferrying EC officials, including Wan Ahmad, were prevented from entering the polling station area by about 200 PAS supporters as they were mistaken to be Barisan Nasional leaders.
Wan Ahmad also said that in future, party supporters would be barred from gathering 50 metres from polling centres.
– BERNAMA
