40,000 policemen to be on duty for state polls

KUALA LUMPUR: The Home Ministry is in the midst of placing 40,000 police personnel on duty in six states for the upcoming polls.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the personnel on duty would either be from the state where the election would be held or would involve personnel from other states.

"Our main aim is to ensure that the nation’s security is preserved, especially in the states where elections will be held. "Secondly, we want to ensure that the police are ready and there will be no aspects of breaking the law (at the state elections)," he said after witnessing the handover of duties ceremony between former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani and his successor Tan Sri Razarudin Husain.

Saifuddin added that the police force would ensure that the public was given the opportunity to exercise their rights as voters without feeling scared to leave their houses.

This morning, the Kelantan State Assembly was the first to be officially dissolved to pave the way for the upcoming state election expected to be held within 60 days.

Other states that were scheduled to dissolve their legislative assemblies were Selangor, Penang, Kedah, Negeri Sembilan, and Terengganu.