SHAH ALAM - A health expert praises Election Commission (EC)’s consideration towards its decision to allow parents to bring young children with them to the polling centres.
Public health expert, Azrul Mohd Khalid asserted this move is a positive development and showed that EC had been taking notes on parents’ issues.
"This is a positive development and recognises that parents may be unable to leave their young children at home or get someone to care for them while they go to vote.
"This is not only a compassionate and considerate move which recognises the realities that many Malaysians have but also a positive move for our democracy,” he said.
Inadvertently, this way will also give the kids early exposure to the country’s democratic process and show them that their voice, matters.
Online research platform, Wikiimpact said yesterday that parents were allowed to bring children to the voting centres if they could not find other alternatives.
Azrul also advised all voters to remain vigilant by wearing masks and to sanitise their hands regularly, whether or not they are Covid-19 positive.
"Most of our voting centres are in government schools that generally have ventilation. However, the concern is that during the line-up of voters entering their lanes, they will often be crowded and are in close proximity to each other,” he said.
Previously, Caretaker Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said there would be no special lane for Covid-19 positive voters for the 15th General Election.
Khairy said that the decision was made after taking into consideration the resources available and also other constraints.