KOTA TINGGI, Feb 19 ― The Ministry of Communications and Multimedia (KKMM) will intensify efforts to achieve the 70 per cent voter turnout target set by the Election Commission (EC) in the Johor state election on March 12.

Its deputy minister Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin said the ministry would implement an awareness campaign on the importance of voting through its various agencies, including via social media.

"KKMM will hold campaigns regarding this matter through the internet, the Whatsapp application and so on.  In addition, we will encourage them to cast their votes through the Info on Wheels programme.

"This is because voting is their rights and it is for their future as well,” he told reporters after attending a meet-the-people session at Felda Bukit Besar hall here today.

He was asked to comment on the ministry’s efforts in helping the EC to achieve the voter turnout target it has set for the Johor state polls.

Meanwhile, Zahidi reminded leaders, political party machinery as well as election campaign organisers to comply with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set and to observe health precautions when campaigning due to the rise in Covid-19 infection.

Yesterday the EC issued the SOPs for the Johor state election allowing ceramah, talks, physical campaigning and house-to-house visits, among others, throughout the 14-day campaign period.

Polling day has been set for March 12, nominations on February 26 and early voting on March 8.

Earlier, Zahidi presented 300 MYTV decoder sets to the residents of Kampung Felda Bukit Besar.

According to him 2.3 million decoder sets had been distributed nationwide between 2017 and 2019, including 244,786 sets in Johor of which 14,631 were distributed in the Tenggara parliamentary constituency. ― Bernama