POSTAL VOTE ON SCORE BOARD FIRST

By: DAP MEDIA

THE result of the postal votes received by the candidates should be posted on the score board before any other results coming in from any other polling streams and centre. This is a peculiar and not normal practice happening now a day during general elections or by-elections.

The Kota Kinabalu Member of Parliament Hiew King Cheu who is making the call claiming, that this is highly irregular and unreasonable for the results of the postal votes to be listed and made known very last on the score board. The postal voters had cast their votes always one day before the actual polling day, and the votes for each candidate were counted by the representatives and dully signed to confirm the result of the postal votes cast. Since the results were confirmed earlier, why this is the last be posted on to the score board and computer?

Sometimes the numbers of postal voters are not the same as listed in the electoral and being added on. Many people feel that this is not fair and they want the Election commission to explain why this can happen, and why can’t they put the result on the score board first?

Hiew urges the EC to rectify this in order to show some fairness and transparency in the election process, and to allow the elections to be conducted in a fair manner. There had been many incidents of arguments and disputes on the postal votes system had occurred during elections. The EC must be seen to be fair to all and to review the complaints and suggestion from the various parties to streamline the postal vote system.

The qualification of the postal voters must also be checked and updated. It is understood that many uniform servicemen who had retired and left the service are still listed as postal voters. They must be re-registered as normal ordinary voters by the EC/SPR after receiving confirmation from the arm forces, police or their department concerned. The person who left the forces should also go to the EC/SPR to register themselves as ordinary votes and get their name removed from the postal voter list.

On the other hand, the suggestion by the Election Commission to adopt a ‘proxy Voters’ system is a system which is highly unreasonable and will induce more ‘foul play’ into the voting and polling system. How can we ensure that the person being appointed as his or her proxy is genuine, and who can certify it? It is more viable and important to allow the one million oversea Malaysian voters to cast their votes in the centre set up by the EC in the various Malaysian High commission offices or Embassies.

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