PONDOK PANAS BANYAK FUNGSINYA, KINI DINAFIKAN KEWUJUDANNYA

Pondok atau Bangsal Panas mempunyai banyak fungsi, antaranya sebagai tempat berteduh dari hujan dan panas bukan hanya kepada para petugas parti malah kepada para pengundi.

Para petugas disediakan air untuk membasah tekak yang kering akibat banyak bercakap.

Biasanya di pondok panas, pengundi berpeluang untuk menyemak sama ada nama mereka tersenarai dalam buku daftar pemilih untuk membuang undi di tempat yang telah dimaklumkan serta saluran yang telah ditetapkan.

Video SPR larang Pondok Panas


Banyak lagi peranan yang dimainkan oleh pondok panas, mungkin sebab kedudukannya hanya 50 meter dari tempat mengundi maka tidak dapat dinafikan ia kekadang menjadi sangat panas suhunya apabila perayu undi dari parti-parti yang bertanding melakukan sesuatu atau berteriak sesuatu yang tidak "sedap" didengar atau dilihat.

Pakatan Rakyat disagrees with ban on pondok panas

The Pakatan Rakyat (PR) disagrees with the Election Commission's (EC) decision to ban the setting up of pondok panas outside the polling centres.


In a joint press conference today, PAS election director Datuk Mustafa Ali said the PR had explained to the EC last week that the supporters did not create any big problems during the past by-elections and that the EC also agreed the by-elections were conducted smoothly.

"We have given our explanation and the EC seemed to have accepted it but we do not understand why it still imposed such a ban," he said.

"The statement by the EC was not reasonable and we will make another appointment with the commission on Thursday or next week to sort the issue out."

On Monday, EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof announced the ban on the pondok panas, or voter reference stations, and warned of severe action against those who ignore the election regulations.

PKR vice-president R. Sivarasa said the decision "has gone against the law" because the Election Offences Act 1954 allows for the setting up such stations 50m away from the polling centres.

"Under the Act, we are also allowed to canvas for votes 50m away from the polling centres but not house-to-house campaigning or ceramah on the polling day," he said.

"We are also allowed to use the pondok panas to help voters check their status and verify the identity of the voters under Section 26(1)(e) of the act.

Sivarasa said placing uniformed policemen at appropriate places around the polling centres will help defuse the tension among the supporters "but not the Federal Reserve Unit as its presence would create fear".

On the statement by Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections (Mafrel) that the political parties had breached the campaign moratorium, Sivarasa said the authorities may act on the political parties if their supporters had done so "but we will ensure that our supporters will not do it".

MCA information and communication bureau chief Lee Wei Keat said the party supported the ban by the EC because it will eliminate tension caused by the party supporters.

"I believe the voters would have made up their minds when they go to cast their votes but the EC must be more efficient in conducting the polling process so that the voters can check their status easily," he told theSun.

He said the ban will also help the political parties to save the cost for setting up the stations.

sun2surf