TANAH RATA, Jan 17 ― The Election Commission (EC) lodged a police report on the distribution of ballot papers for the Cameron Highlands by-election which went viral on the social media.

EC Chairman Azhar Azizan Harun said the Commission would lodge a report with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to investigate the matter and take appropriate action.

He said the EC found that the photograph was a postal ballot paper sent to postal voters on January 13.

"The act of viralling pictures of the ballot paper is an offence and accusations by certain groups that alleged the commission had issued the ballot papers before the voting day was slanderous and had malicious intent,” he said in a statement today.

Azhar Azizan reminded voters to always maintain secrecy and not to display the ballot papers of any election to the general public whether on the social media or any other media.

He said such an act was an offence under the Election Offences Act 1954 which could be severely punished under the law.

The Cameron Highlands by-election on January 26 will see a four-cornered fight involving the Pakatan Harapan candidate M. Manogaran, while Barisan Nasional fielded a former senior police officer Ramli Mohd Nor and two independent candidates namely former lecturer at the Institut Aminuddin Baki, Sallehudin Ab Talib, 61, and a 40-year-old farmer, Wong Seng Yee. ― Bernama