MELAKA, Oct 22 — Candidates and political parties intending to use drones during the Melaka State Election campaign must first obtain approval from the relevant authorities and cannot deploy the devices indiscriminately.

Melaka police chief Datuk Dzulkhairi Mukhtar said drone operations were subject to regulatory controls by the relevant authorities, including the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).

“Political parties cannot simply use equipment such as drones, as approval from the relevant agencies is required.

“Even the police must obtain approval before using drones for operational purposes,” he told reporters after attending a briefing on the 16th Melaka State Election for political party representatives at the Melaka Police Contingent Headquarters here today.

He said Melaka police would deploy about 3,400 personnel to ensure security and public order throughout the election period, including an additional 1,500 personnel from outside the state to support operations.

“The deployment of these reinforcements will be coordinated by Bukit Aman.

“The police will also use technology, including closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and drones operated by a special team, to help ensure the smooth conduct of the election,” he said.

Dzulkhairi also reminded all political parties and candidates to avoid raising issues involving race, religion and royalty (3R), spreading defamatory allegations or engaging in actions that could disrupt public order during the campaign period, which begins on Oct 31.

“The police will remain vigilant on matters concerning security and public order, while issues involving 3R and social media content will be referred to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) for investigation,” he said.

He said police had so far received two reports involving political parties, lodged on Oct 14, concerning the vehicle-free zone in Banda Hilir and an issue involving a Rohingya ethnic school, even though the nomination process had yet to take place.

“Both cases are still under investigation under Section 500 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998,” he said.

In a related development, Dzulkhairi said a total of 2,764 early voters, including postal voters from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), had been recorded for the Melaka state election scheduled for Nov 10.

Earlier, 140 political party representatives from across Melaka attended the briefing, which also involved representatives from MCMC and the Election Commission (EC).

Dzulkhairi said the briefing was aimed at helping political parties understand the procedures and regulations they must comply with throughout the election period, including requirements for campaign permits.

“For permit applications, the police will call in candidates’ representatives according to their respective districts to facilitate early applications, making it easier to conduct campaign activities,” he said. — Bernama