KUALA LUMPUR: The upcoming Melaka election requires stricter standard operating procedure during the campaigning period because Covid-19 transmission rates remain high in the state, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali.

       He noted that Melaka recorded 262 new cases on Oct 24 and had 2,651 active cases at the moment.

       “Nearly 6,000 close contacts with active cases are under supervision,” he said in Parliament yesterday.

       Also, in Parliament, Tebrau MP Steven Choong said the Melaka election was triggered by “several self-centred politicians” as he welcomed the ban on physical gatherings.

       The former PKR MP, now a Perikatan Nasional-friendly independent, said “in politics, we must know when to prioritise the people’s health as our main agenda”.