KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 — Police have issued a total of 1,301 permits nationwide as of yesterday for ceramah throughout the campaigning period for the 15th general election (GE15).

Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) GE15 operations director Datuk Seri Hazani Ghazali said that of the total, 334 permits were issued in Sabah, followed by Sarawak (215), Selangor (119), Kedah (107), Perak (102), Johor (86), Pahang (81), Negri Sembilan (72), Kelantan (57), Penang (45), Melaka (35), Perlis (17), Kuala Lumpur (11) and Terengganu (10).

He said police also detected eight ceramah without permits, with five in Kedah, two in Perak and one in Pahang.

On GE15-related offences, Hazani said that in Johor, a local man was arrested for burning a political party’s flags at Jalan Penyiaran 2, Taman Universiti Skudai and is being investigated under Section 435 of the Penal Code for committing mischief by fire.

He said the second case in Selangor involved a local man asking for RM2,500 as protection money for setting up tents or to campaign around Petaling Jaya.

"The suspect also threatened that if they do not pay up, he would bring his accomplices to cause trouble. The case is being investigated under Section 385 of the Penal Code for extortion,” he said in a statement today.

He said the third case occurred in Penang, with a man being detained on suspicion of punching another man in his right eye while he was putting up the Barisan Nasional flags in the Seberang Perai Tengah area.

"The suspect scolded the victim and there was an argument before the victim was punched by his next-door neighbour, who threatened to call his accomplices.

"After the incident, the victim left and went to a nearby police station to lodge a report,” he said, adding that the case is being investigated under Section 323 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt.

In addition, police also opened 21 investigation papers nationwide involving various GE15-related offences, among them in Sarawak, Pahang and Perak that are being investigated under Section 427 of the Penal Code for committing mischief.

In Sarawak, 23 Perikatan Nasional flagpoles at Jambatan Pekan Lubok Antu in Lubok Antu were broken by unknown individuals.

In Pahang, several Pakatan Harapan (PH) election campaign posters featuring the photographs of Kuantan parliamentary seat candidate Fuziah Salleh and state assembly candidate Chan Chun Kuang and Teruntum state assembly seat candidate Sim Chong Siang in Jalan Besar and Jalan Mahkota, Kuantan respectively were pasted with the "Save Malaysia Stop Lynas” logo stickers.

In Perak, PH banners were torn by unknown individuals in Muallim.

Meanwhile, in Melaka, a man was arrested on suspicion of causing a disturbance at the meeting of a political party in the Melaka Tengah district yesterday.

Melaka Police chief Datuk Zainol Samah said that in the 10pm incident, an individual, in his 50s, overturned tables and chairs and tore the banners, in addition to threatening to hit the chairman.

"The suspect was arrested and the case is being investigated under Section 427/506 of the Penal Code for committing mischief and criminal intimidation,” he said in a statement today. — Bernama