THE uproar at a polling centre in Keningau, Sabah, during the PKR elections there began when deputy president candidate Rafizi Ramli arrived at the hall, the party’s deputy central election committee (JPP) chairman Adzman Hedra said.

“Everything was under control until the arrival of Rafizi. After he arrived, (people) looked rather agitated.

“Then, he went inside the hall and demanded that the monitors put the voting on hold,” Adzman told The Malaysian Insight when asked about a video clip that had gone viral showing Rafizi cornered by a noisy crowd inside the Keningau polling centre.

Rafizi later reportedly said that a man had approached him from the crowd and attempted to assault him, but only managed to graze his head.

Adzman said the JPP then ordered voting to continue, considering the long line of voters still waiting outside.

Adzman, who is in Keningau, said the incident involving Rafizi occurred about 4.15pm. 

He said when Rafizi demanded a stop to the voting process, the election monitors tried to call the JPP but could not due to poor mobile phone coverage in the area.

Rafizi then began talking loudly in the hall.

“This was when the crowd got agitated. Luckily, police immediately moved in.”

Adzman said the voting process was not called off and continued till the end, after which the election monitors packed up and left.

Rafizi, however, later reportedly said the attempted assault took place as he was leaving the centre.

He said that voting in Keningau had been called off about an hour before closing time and this had caused an uproar among party members who had been waiting outside since morning.

Meanwhile, Keningau police said no arrests have been made following the incident.

Keningau acting police chief Asst Supt Lee Nyuk Kim said they were investigating the case.

The incident comes as Rafizi’s rival, incumbent deputy president Azmin Ali, took a slim lead over the former in the first round of polling in Sabah today. Voting in the state ends tomorrow. – November 3, 2018.