PUTRAJAYA: Health authorities will be holding discussions with the Election Commission on ways those with Covid-19 can vote, says Khairy Jamaluddin.
The Health Minister noted that authorities must have a protocol on the safest way to allow those infected to exercise their right to vote.
“We have to accept the fact Covid-19 is here to stay and we cannot deny voters their right to vote as this would be denying them of what is stated in the Federal Constitution.
“So, we will prepare a protocol that is safe," he said after launching the Clinical Research Malaysia annual report on Monday (March 21).
Khairy said among the views to be sought is on who would take infected individuals to polling centres and if dedicated streams would be opened for Covid-19 patients.
“We will need some time to look into all this. It is not that we want to delay the polls from taking place but to come up with a protocol, we need some time to do it,” explained the minister.
During polling day in the Johor state election, a woman who turned up at a polling centre in Larkin was slapped with a RM1,000 compound for not finishing her quarantine after testing positive for Covid-19.
On calls for the general election to be held, consideration on public health would be one of the top priorities in determining suitable dates for polls to be held.
“We acknowledge the national polls must be held. We need to find the most suitable time to do it, the time where risk is at its lowest because elections involve people going out, campaign activities and people going out to vote,” he said.
The just concluded Umno general assembly saw delegates calling for national polls to be held soon as momentum and voters’ support is on Barisan Nasional’s side.
The current Parliament term ends June 2023.
Khairy had said that stabilising the Covid-19 situation should be prioritised before a general election is held and that the country should wait at least a few months after April 1, when Malaysia starts transitioning into the endemic phase.