I am a Malaysian who has been studying in London for the past three years. Having turned 21 last year, I was very eager to exercise my right to vote in this year's elections.

I registered as a voter during the summer holidays and my application was approved sometime at the end of 2012.

In early 2013, the Election Commission (EC) announced that they would be taking in email registrations for overseas postal voters.

I submitted my form in January and received a confirmation of receipt. I have been checking the status of my application regularly but it has not changed since January - I am told that my application is still being processed.

It angers me to read news portraying overseas Malaysians as apathetic towards the current elections.

Much fuss has been made about the small number of overseas Malaysians who have registered to vote.

As an overseas Malaysian myself, I believe that it is not apathy, but the inefficiency of the EC in updating the electoral roll that is holding us back from exercising our right to decide on the future of Malaysia's governance.

There is a little over two weeks to the 2013 general election. I call upon the EC to act fast to rectify the situation, and not turn this election into a sham.

Instead of just fending of international watchdogs and dismissing claims about irregularities in the electoral roll, show us that it is indeed able to carry out the single most important task of an election committee - that is, to facilitate citizens in their bid to vote.