KUALA TERENGGANU, Jan 8 (Bernama) — Pas still has doubts with the Election Commission (EC)’s ability in ensuring a clean and transparent by-election on Jan 17 though it admits that everything has gone well so far.

“We are not fully convinced yet that the running of the polls will be clean,” said the party’s commissioner in Terengganu, Datuk Mustafa Ali, to a press conference at its education camp here, Thursday.
“Since the nomination day, I admit things have gone smoothly so far. It is just that on the polling day, the most intense day, we hope the EC will do its job properly. The do’s and the don’ts need to be adheered to strictly,” he said.
Pas, he said, was also concerned over the 6,000 police personnel including from the special branch deployed in state during the by-election campaign for the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat.
“It is their duty to search for news and secrets. Usually, they are in disguise. I am not sure what is the true purpose but based on past experience, some of their actions were to provoke people and these provocations can lead to something bad,” he said.
Mustapa said the presence of many police personnel was not well received by some local residents and created fear of security problems “but I have explained to them the police are here to do their job”.
“I just hope the police are not seen as trying to intimidate the voters,” he said.
— BERNAMA