VOTERS in a standoff with a light strike force (LSF) team at SEK Taman Dato’ Harun (1) cheered when Petaling Jaya candidate Maria Chin Abdullah (PKR) intervened with the assurance she would bring the matter to court.

Nearly 200 people were locked in a standoff with the LSF today over the Election Commission’s refusal to allow about 70 people inside the voting centre to vote. The 70 voters were not allowed to cast their votes at closing time at 5pm even though they were in the queue.

Maria assured the voters she would ensure justice was served.

“I will keep on challenging the EC because what they have done here is not fair and it is not right,” she said. 

A nearby resident who wanted to be known as Mohamad, 53 said he rushed to the site upon hearing of the altercation at 5.15pm.

“When I arrived, I saw a few people were already gathered outside the school.

“At about 6pm, the LSF came and the number of people gathered outside had risen to nearly 200 people,” he told Malaysia Decides.

Another Taman Medan resident, Nora, 40 said it was disappointing to that such a thing could happen in a democratic country.

“They should have been allowed to vote. The voters were already in the school compound so by right they could vote.

“Only the main gate was closed but they could have still gone to the booths and cast their votes,” she said.– May 9, 2018.