THE Royal Malaysia Police has opened 219 investigation papers and detained five individuals –  four in Negri Sembilan and one in Selangor – for various election offences committed on polling day, yesterday.

Its general election operations director, Hazani Ghazali, said three individuals – two in Seremban and one in Port Dickson, Negri Sembilan – were arrested under section 8 of the Explosives Act 1957.

“In the Seremban incident, two men were held for setting off firecrackers outside the Tuanku Mambau Club public hall at 7.45pm, while in Port Dickson, a man was arrested for a similar offence in front of the district administration complex.

“An individual was arrested in Seremban under section 186 of the penal code and Section 26(1) of the Election Offences Act 1954 for obstructing civil servants from carrying out their duties and being in close proximity to the vote counting area at the Seremban town hall,” he said in a statement today.

Meanwhile, in Selangor, Hazani said a man was detained for causing chaos by dropping ballot boxes in the polling station at Sekolah Kebangsaan Yam Lama during the voting process.

“However, the ballot box at polling stream 3 was not damaged and the man was arrested under section 3 (1) of the Election Offences Act 1954 and section 14 (A) of the Minor Offences Act 1955,” he said. 

Hazani, who is also Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order Department director, said a total of 501 investigation papers were opened pertaining to election offences nationwide from November 4 to 19. – Bernama, November 20, 2022.