He said the provision is to cater for occasions such as a small number of voters registered in a polling district.

The law allows the EC to shorten the voting hours of such centres and some close at 12pm or 1pm, he added. Most polling centres are open from 8am to 6pm.

He said the voting times of polling centres must be gazetted in advance, so voters could be suitably informed. “Political parties and candidates should be aware (of the timing) and advise voters accordingly,” he told FMT. The gazetted time could not be changed, he said.

Earlier today, several videos of voters in a heated argument with EC officials at an unnamed polling centre in Kuala Pilah made rounds on social media

The polling centre had closed at 2pm, and voters who reached the centre after 2pm could not cast their votes.