MELAKA: Talk is swirling here that the nomination day for the Melaka election will be held end of next month. Election Commission (EC) chairman Datuk Abdul Ghani Salleh (pic) is expected to hold a press conference tomorrow to announce details of the state election.

       Political parties have started their preparations in anticipation of the poll being held next month.

       There is even speculation that the Melaka election would be held simultaneously with Sarawak amid a shorter campaign period due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

       However, locals here are not eager for a state election due to concerns about health safety.

       On Friday, a coalition of five non-governmental organisations in the state appealed to the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Melaka Tun Mohd Ali Rustam to stop the state election from being held.

       The spokesman for the coalition, Ronsome Ho Choong Seng, said a memorandum had been sent to the Melaka Governor to consider deferring the poll until the Covid-19 situation in the state was under control.

       He said the NGOs represented fishermen, hawkers, vegetable sellers as well as trishaw riders in the state.