The Election Commission has defended the integrity of its voter registration system amid claims that the names of foreigners had found their way into the electoral rolls.

EC chairperson Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said only those with Malaysian identification cards were allowed to be registered as voters, and that verifications were made through the Agency Link-Up System or Alis.

Through the system, the EC would cross check with National Registration Department (NRD) and employ 33 types of vetting before any application to become a voter can be approved.

NONE "During the registration process, the applicant's identifier would be cross-checked with the NRD through Alis. The EC will only process the application if the details tally with the NRD records.

"The system will automatically reject any fraudulent attempts to register a voter," he told Bernama and Siasah in an interview recently.

He was asked to comment on claims by opposition parties that foreigners had been registered as voters and that police personnel were registered as postal as well as ordinary voters. They also claimed that voters were transfered to other polling stations without their knowledge.

Abdul Aziz pointed out that the Alis vetting would not only reject non-citizens but also citizens who had not reached the voting age and those using fake documents.

'EC never engage in unlawful actions'

The EC would never engage in unlawful actions either in conducting elections, registering voters or in carrying out redelineation of electoral boundaries, Abdul Aziz stressed.

He called on those with proof of irregularities to come to the EC and report the matter.

"I want their full names, passport numbers and their details as electors. I want to see proof because it is impossible for foreigners to be registered as voters," he said.

Asked on claims that police personnel were also registered as ordinary voters, he said, the EC carried out stringent checks to ensure there were no double registrations.

According to him, postal voter registration takes place at the police headquarters or stations they are attached to.

The EC also meets the police and armed forces on a monthly basis for postal voters' verification.

On claims that voters were moved to other areas without the knowledge or consent of the voters concerned, Abdul Aziz said shifting of voters cannot be done indiscriminately.

It can only be done by the electors themselves, he pointed out.

"These accusations are attempts to malign the EC. Give us the list of those affected, don't simply make accusations," he said.

- Bernama

DAP gunning for 10,000 new voters