Police Boost Preparedness Ahead Of N.Sembilan Polls

SEREMBAN, July 10 (Bernama)-- Negeri Sembilan police is strengthening the level of preparedness of its personnel and officers ahead of the 16th state election with a simulation exercise to test the effectiveness of action plans, operational coordination and the ability to face various contingencies throughout the election.

Negeri Sembilan deputy police chief SAC Mohd Nasharudin Mohd Shariff said today's exercise involved 220 members simulating a riot scenario following the actions of a group dissatisfied with the election results.

He said the exercise also involved the cooperation of various agencies including the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU), the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM), the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM), the Seremban City Council, the Seremban District Office, the National Security Council (MKN) and other related agencies.

"Through this simulation, we are testing the level of coordination between PDRM and all agencies involved, including the actions of FRU and special forces deployed to disperse riots and arrest individuals who act violently.

"It is the final phase in a series of exercises that have been carried out over the past two weeks, starting with the simulation of nomination day in Port Dickson, the campaign period in Nilai and polling day in Kuala Pilah, which also involved scenarios of public order disruption," he told reporters after the simulation here today.

The Election Commission (EC) has set polling day for the Negeri Sembilan state election on August 1, while nomination day is on July 18 and early voting on July 28.

Yesterday, Negeri Sembilan police chief Datuk Alzafny Ahmad was reported to have said that 4,800 officers and personnel would be deployed, in addition to receiving assistance from 1,373 officers and personnel from Bukit Aman who would be stationed at the polling stations starting at the end of the campaign period until a few days after the election.

-- BERNAMA