Malaysians will go to the polls on May 9, which falls on a Wednesday, the Election Commission (EC) announced earlier this morning.
This marks the fourth time in the country’s history that polling day is held on weekday.
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Malaysians will go to the polls on May 9, which falls on a Wednesday, the Election Commission (EC) announced earlier this morning.
This marks the fourth time in the country’s history that polling day is held on weekday.
EC chairman Tan Sri Mohd Hashim Abdullah, in a live broadcast on TV1, said that nominations for the 222 parliamentary and 587 state seats have been set for April 28.
Early voting for military and police personnel as well as voters living abroad has been fixed for May 5.
This gives political parties a campaign period of 11 days, four days more than the 13th General Election.
The EC is issuing the writ of election today and the notice of election tomorrow.
Mohd Hashim said that a total of 14,940,627 Malaysians are eligible to vote in GE14 compared to 13,268,002 registered voters in the last general election in 2013.
The 14th General Election will see a total of 259,391 election workers on duty, with 8,898 polling centres and 28,995 polling streams.
Mohd Hashim earlier chaired an eight-men panel meeting at 10am to decide on the key dates for the election including nomination, early voting, and polls.
He said the EC had taken several factors into consideration when deciding on the dates, ensuring that none clash with any significant cultural or religious event.
The 13th Malaysian Parliament was dissolved on Saturday (April 7) to pave the way for GE14.
Mohd Hashim also said the commission has appointed 222 ROs to conduct the election process.
"A 445-man special campaign enforcement team will be formed by the EC. For this general election, a total of 259,391 on-duty officers comprising members of the public have been appointed to conduct GE14."
He said 8,989 premises would be used as polling centres with 28,995 voting streams.
Mohd Hashim estimated the cost of conducting GE14 to be about RM500 million.
The number of registered voters, he said, stood at 14,940,624. Out of the total, 300,255 The electoral roll will be sold on April 16, said Hashim, adding voters could check their status at the EC portal at www.spr.gov.my, via MYSPR SEMAK app, call 03-88927018, or by sending an SMS to 15888 from April 16.
He said the EC has also invited international observers from 14 countries comprising those from Asean, the Commonwealth, Asia and Europe.
Mohd Hashim said the observers also involved those from the Malaysian Commonwealth Studies Centre based in Cambridge, United Kingdom.
At the same time, he said the EC has appointed 14 non-governmental organisations and university representatives as local observers. These local and foreign observers are allowed to monitor the goings-on at the nomination centres, early voting centres, polling centres and vote-counting centres.
"In this respect, the EC will not acknowledge any organisation or individual other than those officially appointed by EC to monitor and observe the GE14 process.
"I wish to remind that the postal voting closing date for the Form 1A category will fall on April 28. The closing date for the Form 1C category will be on April 23," said Mohd Hashim.