The Shanghai chapter of the NGO for clean elections Bersih has found a number of irregularities in voter registrations of Malaysians residing in the Chinese city.

It claimed some have been made absentee voters or entered into the roll without their consent, while one has had his name removed.

NONE “Through our activities, Bersih Shanghai has found many irregular cases and questions - is Shanghai being made the factory of phantom voters?” the group asked in a statement issued today.

“A housewife residing in Shanghai for more than 15 years, and not under any of the Election Commission's (EC) eligible postal voter categories, i.e. a public servant, military (personnel) or a full time student, was made ‘pemilih tak hadir’ (absentee voter) without application, without consent, without knowledge, in July last year,” said the group.

She finally managed to convert her status back to being an ordinary voter last November at the EC office in Shah Alam.

In another case, a secondary school teacher in Klang was also made an absentee voter without her consent, although she is in Malaysia and had studied in Beijing more than nine years ago.

“She is still a postal voter and hence her constitutional right has been unfairly denied as she is unable to vote in the coming GE at her constituency in Seputeh, unless she flies to Beijing (to correct her status),” the statement says.

Another Malaysian who has resided in Shanghai for more than 20 years has also been categorised as an absentee voter without her consent.

Found and lost

Meanwhile, the group said a businessperson residing in Shanghai for over nine years found himself registered as a voter in Kelantan, although he has never been to the state.

“Even stranger, he has never registered as a voter,” said Bersih Shanghai.

NONE On the other hand, a top businesperson in a large fast food chain who has resided in Shanghai for a decade found that he had been removed from the electoral roll without his consent and now cannot exercise his voting right in the May 5 general election.

The group said such cases have eroded public confidence in the EC, at least among the overseas Malaysians.

Last month, Bersih Shanghai launched their campaign to encourage Malaysians in China to fly home to vote.

“The campaign was kicked off with an initial donated fund of RMB15,000 (equivalent to RM7,369) sufficient for 30 persons, and following the announcement of date of the general election, we now have 138 applicants and all approved,” it said.

Related stories

Singapore police probe six Malaysians over voting drive

Bishop says Sunday ballot a bane to Christians

Teoh's sister Lee Lan, three activists held in Bidor