THE Election Commission (EC) has targeted an 85% voter turnout in the 14th general election (GE14).

EC chairman Mohd Hashim Abdullah said this would only be achieved, however, with the support and cooperation of all quarters, particularly the media.

The percentage of voter turnout would also be determined by the intention of some people to protest by not coming out to vote or to spoil their vote, he said when chairing a meeting of the committee in charge of the campaign to get people to check their voter status and to vote, at the EC headquarters today.

Hashim said the campaign would encourage the people to register as voters, check their voter status and come out and vote in GE14.

“The general election will be held at any time now. It is important for voters to check their status and find out where they have to vote to ensure a smooth election,” he said.

Hashim said that as of the fourth quarter of 2017, there were 14,968,304 registered voters.

He said that to foster awareness, the EC had devised a comprehensive communications plan to disseminate information to the people.

Several government agencies and media organisations would be involved in the campaign as part of their corporate social responsibility to the people and nation, he said.

These entities included the Communications and Multimedia Ministry, Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry, Information Department, Department of Islamic Development Malaysia, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission and government and private sector media such as Radio Television Malaysia, Bernama, Media Prima, Astro, Al-Hijrah TV and the Karangkraf Group. – Bernama, March 8, 2018.