KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 — Of the 6,010 temporary shelters for flood victims, around 35 per cent are also polling stations on Polling Day in the 15th general elections (GE15), Perikatan Nasional's (PN) hopeful for the Sepang seat Datuk Seri Rina Harun revealed.
Which will be more important if the forecasted heavy rains hit on Polling Day, polling stations or the flood shelters, she asked while giving a speech at the PN Pentas event held in Banting and live-streamed on social media.
"So we will pray together, as the date [for Polling Day] has already been fixed, so that there will be no major flooding.
"If not, which is more important: for the locations to be temporary shelters for flood victims or for them to be polling stations?” she asked.
She also said that the reason for PN’s disagreement with the recent dissolution of Parliament to make way for GE15 was not because of the elections being brought forward, but because of the issue of Malaysia’s northeast monsoon period.
This was a particular concern for her as the caretaker women, family and community development minister, she said, as the welfare of the people falls under her purview.
Earlier this week, caretaker prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said it is up to the Election Commission (EC) to decide whether to stop the 15th general election (GE15) process if the country is hit by massive floods.
On November 4, MetMalaysia forecast that the northeast monsoon season would begin on November 7 and last until March next year, and it could result in flooding in low-lying and riverine areas.
The department also predicted that the king tide phenomenon could hit during several periods between November and January next year.
Rina will contest the Sepang seat in Selangor in an eight-cornered fight.
