Malaysians abroad who faced a hard time exercising their right to vote was given a personal touch today when an individual told the parliamentary select committee (PSC) on electoral reform how he was deprived of casting the ballot while he was a student overseas.

NONE Addressing the nine-person panel, Shawn Tan said that he was a student in the United Kingdom in 2007 and was unable to register as a postal voter although the election regulations clearly allows this for all full-time students.

"I'm here with a story which I have kept for very long, not knowing who to tell," said Tan, who was a government-sponsored scholar.

According to Tan, the officer at the Malaysian High Commission in London told him that only civil servants were allowed to register as postal voters.

"But I was a full-time student. I explained to the officer that I was allowed, but was told to get confirmation from the Election Commission (EC) as the officer had no jurisdiction on this (matter)," he said.

Submitting his email correspondence with the high commission to the PSC, the then doctorate student said he had subsequently emailed the EC for confirmation but has yet to get a reply to this day.

Tan said he had only wanted to register as a postal voter as he was already on the electoral roll, having voted in the 2004 general election.

Confusion among consulate staff

Asked for clarification, EC deputy secretary for research Harun Che Su said that there was "confusion" among consulate staff about the eligibility of Malaysian students abroad to register as a postal voter.

He said that statements were made previously that only government-sponsored scholars, civil servants and their spouses were allowed to register as postal voters.

"But it is clear in section two of the election regulations that all full-time students are allowed, whether private or sponsored by the government," he said.

To a question from Anthony Loke (DAP-Rasah), Harun said that students and civil servants overseas who are not yet registered as voters can now register at their respective high commissions as the EC has appointed assistant registrars there.

He said that those who register as postal voters will need to cancel this registration once they are no longer eligible, upon which the EC will revert their status back as ordinary voters.

NONE Loke ( photo, left ) added that the EC should look at drawing up guidelines and standard operating procedures for the registration of postal voters by full-time students and civil servants to avoid confusion.  

PSC member Dr Hatta Ramli (PAS-Kuala Krai) ( photo, right ) said that this confusion occurred in many other countries as well, including Egypt, Russia and Ukraine, where many Malaysians are pursuing their tertiary education.

"In Egypt, only two people are registered as postal voters, when more than 2,000 students were evacuated from there during the Arab Spring," he said.

Stressed-out patients

Also addressing the committee today was prominent journalist Kee Thuan Chye who lamented the fact that his daughter, who registered as a voter six months ago, is still not on the electoral roll.

When checked, he said, the EC website showed that this was because of "postponement in Parliament".

Loke explained that this was due to objections relating to voters registered in the constituency, Subang.

"But this does not mean we are saying that it (existing system) is a good system," Loke said.

Others who attended the public hearing included a group of doctors who find that the poor state of affairs pertaining to the elections was contributing great stress to their patients.

Dr ng swee choon from tung shin hospital at psc "Healthcare is more than hypertension and disease. Stress from  daily lives can also make people very sick," said Dr Ng Kwee Boon, who called for a more level-playing field among the political parties.  

The doctors also urged the committee to submit their recommendations before the next general elections.

Fourteen individuals and groups submitted to the committee today including Federal Territories Putera MIC, DAP Youth and PAS Youth.

More public hearings to be held in Kota Kinabalu (Nov 25 and 26), Kuching (Dec 8 and 9), Penang (Dec 15 and 16), Kota Bharu (Jan 7 and 8) and Johor Baru (Jan 12 and 13).