BUTTERWORTH, MALAYSIA: Police have detained a man who tried to sell his ballot papers to DAP members outside a school compound here.

North Seberang Prai OCPD Asst Comm Wan Abdullah Tuanku Said said the 45-year-old unemployed man, believed to be suffering from mental illness, possessed two ballot papers - one for the Bagan Jermal state seat and another for the Bagan parliamentary seat.

"The man had initially gone to the polling station in SK Bagan Tuan Kechil in Jalan Mengkuang to cast his vote. But, he left the station without dropping the papers into the ballot boxes," he said on Saturday.

ACP Wan Abdullah said the man later went to SMK Kampung Kastam at 10.15am and tried to sell the papers to a few DAP members.

The members, however, advised him to go to their operations centre in Jalan Raja Uda, where he was arrested.

Sungai Puyu incumbent assemblyman Phee Boon Poh said he was surprised that the man was able to leave the polling station with his ballot papers.

"We hope the Election Commission and police will investigate this serious breach of the election process," he said, adding that a report was filed at the Butterworth police station.