Seremban: Police received 92 reports and opened 24 investigation papers throughout the campaign period for the 16th Negeri Sembilan State Election, which ended at midnight last night. Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohd Khalid Ismail stated that most of the reported offences involved minor cases linked to supporters or party members, while four reports on alleged cash handouts to voters were still under investigation.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the offences reported were mostly minor, involving acts of mischief such as damage to party banners, flags, and posters. To date, there have been no police reports directly involving candidates, while the overall election process across the 36 state seats has proceeded smoothly and safely. Mohd Khalid provided these details to reporters after inspecting the voting process at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) King George V, accompanied by Internal Security and Public Order Department director Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri and Negeri Sembilan police chief Datuk Alzafny Ahmad.
Mohd Khalid mentioned that all the cases were being investigated under the Election Offences Act 1954, the Sedition Act 1948, and the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. In addition, police officers have been assigned to record Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor's statement over an alleged remark touching on racial issues, before completing the investigation papers and submitting them to the Attorney General's Chambers for further action.
To ensure security throughout polling day and the post-election period, a total of 5,500 police officers and personnel were deployed. Mohd Khalid noted that police had identified 26 hotspot areas requiring special attention, while two special teams equipped with body-worn cameras were stationed in each state constituency to continuously monitor the situation.
Further security measures were announced for strategic locations, including the State Government Office and the Palace, to safeguard public order. A total of 859,760 registered voters, including 7,391 postal voters, were eligible to cast their ballots to elect representatives for the 36 state seats. Additionally, 91.06 per cent of the 14,995 early voters exercised their right to vote on July 28.