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		Fri, Mar 07, 2008 The Straits Times
Vandals splash paint on election chief's house
KUALA LUMPUR - RED paint was splashed on the Election Commission (EC) chairman's house yesterday, suspected to be the work of vandals unhappy with the EC's decision to cancel a plan to use indelible ink in the polls. Three men were believed to have been behind the vandalism, which resulted in paint splattered over an exterior wall, the porch, the gates and Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman's car. He discovered it when he got out of his house at 7.30am yesterday to hand his car keys to his driver.

'Those who resorted to this act of mischief are surely disappointed people who do not want to accept the reason given by the EC. They are reacting with emotion and not thinking rationally,' he said.

The EC had drawn much flak after it called off the use of indelible ink on Polling Day tomorrow, reversing the plan to dab voters' fingernails with the ink to prevent them from voting more than once.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Muhammad Sabtu Osman said a security guard at a house opposite the EC chairman's home had seen a dark-coloured car with three men in it stopping in front of the house around 12.30am.

'According to the security guard, one of the men alighted and splashed the paint in the direction of the gates. When the guard gave a shout, the man dumped the tin of paint into a rubbish bin and the men took off in the car,' he said.

The suspects and the car could not be identified clearly.

Said the EC chairman yesterday: 'Today, my house became the target, but I am not intimidated. I am unaffected by this irresponsible act. I will continue to do as fairly as possible whatever is necessary and appropriate.' -BERNAMA

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