KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 — The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) have opened 30 investigation papers and detained 14 individuals in six states for various offences relating to campaigning for the 15th general election (GE15) yesterday.

PDRM GE15 operations director Datuk Seri Hazani Ghazali said five individuals were detained in Kelantan, Kuala Lumpur (three), Selangor (three) and one each in Sarawak, Kedah and Perak, adding that they had issued 1,182 GE15 permits for political talks throughout the country.

Hazani said 275 permits were issued in Sabah, Perak (166), Sarawak (141), Kelantan (84), Pahang (84), Kedah (82), Johor (81), Selangor (66), Melaka (57), Negri Sembilan (55), Terengganu (39), Pulau Pinang (28), Kuala Lumpur (23) and one in Perlis.

Sabah had the most investigation papers opened with eight, followed by four each in Kelantan and Johor, followed by three in Selangor.

The investigations in Sabah are focused under Section 4(A)(1) of the Election Offences Act 1954 for inciting hatred, Section 233(1) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for Improper use of network facilities or network service, and Section 427 of the Penal Code for mischief.

Hazani added that out of the 14 individuals arrested, five were detained in Kelantan for suspected rioting in Kubang Kerian, while a man was arrested in Hulu Selangor for criminal intimidation when he trespassed into a house claiming that the tent of a political party had disturbed his business area.

Meanwhile in Kuala Lumpur, a man was arrested for causing public concern and misuse of network service when he shared ballot papers with incorrect words on social media.

Also, over 100 police reports were received in the capital regarding various campaign offences, including vandalising campaign materials, out of which only nine investigation papers were opened, Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Azmi Abu Kassim said.

The number of reports might rise come polling day on November 19 and advised all parties to continue to obey the law, Azmi told reporters after visiting an early voting centre at the Kuala Lumpur Contingent police headquarters today.

He added that the police had a task force to curb campaign offences for GE15.

In Pahang, out of the 15 GE15 related investigation papers opened in the state so far, two were opened recently, the first involving a Facebook post and the second, a political talk without a permit, state police chief Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said.

The Facebook post allegedly contained provocative claims involving Bentong and is being investigated under Section 4(A) of the Election Offences Act 1954 and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, while the police report about the political talk without a permit in Rompin was received by the election enforcement team and is being investigated under Section 24B(10) of the Election Offences Act 1954.

In Kedah, four men have been arrested since nomination day on November 5, state police chief Datuk Wan Hassan Wan Ahmad said, adding that they receive 263 reports for various GE15 related offences, with 24 investigation papers opened as of yesterday.

The offences include acts of mischief, such as burning party flags and vandalising campaign posters, slandering and intimidation, holding political talks without permits and trespassing into party premises, he said.

Wan Hassan added that over 5,000 officers and personnel will be on duty on polling day and they were focused on 89 hotspots to ensure that the voting process would run smoothly on Saturday. — Bernama