With two days to go until the nomination day for GE15, a DAP politician has taken the Election Commission to task, demanding to know what their contingency plans are should voters head to the polls under extreme weather conditions, including floods.
Former Klang MP Charles Santiago said the commission must disclose its plans to the voters if it floods on polling day, and how Malaysians are expected to cast their votes if the roads to the polling centres are inundated.
“What does it mean for the outcome of the general election when for example, Malaysians in Melaka, Johor, and Negeri Sembilan go to the polls, while those in Kelantan, Terengganu, and Pahang can’t, as polling stations are under water?”
The Meteorological Department said the monsoon season in Malaysia is expected to begin on Nov 7, earlier than predicted, and would continue until March 2023.
“Just like before, continuous rainfall for a few days can cause flooding in low areas, and near rivers,” the department said in a statement this evening.
“If it rains continuously, and if high tide occurs, the risk of flooding will increase.”
The department said high tide is expected to take place during the following periods:
- Nov 6-11 and Nov 27
- Dec 7-12 and Dec 22-26
- Jan 6-10 and Jan 21-25
As such, Santiago said the EC should not dismiss his questions as “hypothetical”.
“Would the polls be free and fair if only citizens in certain parts of the country get to vote?” he asked.
With nomination day less than 48 hours away, Santiago said the Election Commission must respond with a detailed contingency plan, now.
“If you actually had a contingency plan, you would have looked at all possibilities. You would also have made those plans public.
“And what happens if it floods on polling day? How will Malaysians cast their votes if the roads to the polling centres are flooded?” he added.
Santiago said the EC’s mitigation plans are crucial, so that people are prepared and can make travel plans in the event of floods or heavy rains leading up to polling day.
“More importantly, it could save lives. We have seen more than 10 instances of flooding all over the country in the past month, despite the brunt of the Northeast monsoon coming in only in November.
“How are schools going to be used concurrently as polling, and evacuation centres, if it floods on Nov 19,” he said.
Santiago, who is expected to sit out GE15 following DAP’s decision to drop him as a candidate, also noted that most Malaysians didn’t have four-wheel drive vehicles to wade through floodwaters, and wondered how those with smaller cars and worse, motorbikes, would make the trip.
“Is any of this even feasible? Would polling centres be closed if it rains more than 100mm? What happens when main roads adjacent to polling centres are inaccessible?
“What would it take for the EC to postpone elections? What if many districts are simultaneously flooded? There are many questions, but the EC’s silence is just deafening,” he added.