by AFIQ HANIF / pic MUHD AMIN NAHARUL

EARLY voting centres for the 15th General Election (GE15) were closed at 5pm on Nov 15.

The process involved a total of 224,828 registered early voters comprising 117,473 military personnel and their spouses, as well as 107,355 police personnel and their spouses.

Army personnel Zaki Ahmad was excited to cast his vote for the first time. He wanted to vote for a representative who would work towards the causes he stood for. 

“I am doing national service by joining the army and I am serving the nation by casting my vote, which is my right to do,” he told The Malaysian Reserve.

Zaki said he has been watching videos to see what each party and its candidates have been doing.

“I want the MP I voted to serve the constituent with integrity and hard work as he or she must remember the needs to serve the rakyat for the next five years,” he said.

For a police officer who wished to only be known as Muhammad, the leaders that people vote for must fight for equality and focus on the people. 

“I hope the leader appointed would focus on police charity as well as salary revision,” he said.

A total of 578 early voting centres involving 970 channels, which were opened at state police headquarters, district police headquarters and army camps from 8am, were closed in stages between 12pm and 5pm.

The early voting ballot papers will be kept at police station lockups and the counting of these ballot papers will be conducted on polling day this Saturday (Nov 19) starting at 4pm at the counting stations designated by the Election Commission (EC) and witnessed by agents of the respective candidates.

The GE15 involves 222 parliamentary seats and 116 state seats in Perak, Pahang and Perlis.