ALOR STAR, MALAYSIA: Several drink poisoning cases were reported at Barisan Nasional operations centres Friday night.

The incident, however, did not affect polling in Kedah which proceeded smoothly on Saturday.

Twenty-two Barisan operation centre workers were rushed to the Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital Friday night after consuming packet soya drinks distributed by two men who came in a lorry.

The 20 men and two women, aged between 20 and 60, fell ill between 10pm and 11pm Friday.

At the Kampung Bukit Kalong operations centre in Kodiang, which is under the Jerlun parliamentary constituency, over 20 people were affected after drinking packet lychee supplied by two men on a motorcycle and another man in a car.

Among the victims, who were treated at the Jitra and Kangar hospitals, were children who accompanied their parents to the centres.

Checks on the drink boxes supplied in Kampung Bukit Kalong showed injection holes.

Police have detained a 30-year-old suspect in Sungai Petani, and are looking for his accomplice.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan, when contacted in Kuala Lumpur, said whoever was behind it showed 'how desperate they are.'

Kedah police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Syed Ismail Syed Azizan said two men in a lorry distributed the drinks in Sungai Petani.

"We are looking for the detained man's accomplice who was driving the lorry," he added.

DCP Syed Ismail said six police reports had been lodged on the poisoning attempts, adding that samples would be sent to the chemical department for analysis.

Fatimah Abdul Rahman, 62, one of the victims at the Kampung Teluk Wang Kecil operations centre which is under Pantai Merdeka state consituency, said two men came in a lorry and distributed soya drinks in boxes, claiming that the drinks were from the Sungai Petani Barisan operations centre.

It is believed that the men also distributed the packet drinks to Barisan operation centres in Kampung Teluk Wang Besar, Kampung Rantau Panjang, Kampung Sungai Mas dan Kampung Sungai Jagung.