LETTER | The National Patriot Association (Patriot) supports the call by Bersih 2.0 to either improve the system of postal voting or abolish it all together.

In making the call, Bersih 2.0 criticised the Election Commission’s need to open up postal voting for civil servants from nine to twelve categories, arguing that the system is open to abuse.

Furthermore, the date for polling is not pre-determined well in advance and that it would not be possible to know if the civil servant concerned is on duty on the actual polling day.

Patriot strongly feels the categories of civil servants to be given eligibility for postal voting should be reduced and not increased.

Even for the military and the police, which form the largest groups eligible for postal voting, there is no need for postal voting at all.

Unlike our time when we were fighting our nation’s enemies and when the bulk of the troops were either in the jungle or on standby for emergency deployment, we are now in peacetime and troops are stationed at their respective bases.

A proper duty roster for the day could easily allow all the security forces personnel to vote on polling day.

Similarly, it could be done for the various civil departments and agencies like immigration, customs, fire and rescue, prison, hospital, and including those on duty during polling day.

Proper management by the officers and those in charge should enable all the civil servants under their care to exercise their democratic duty to vote on polling day.

Postal voting should be strictly limited to those who are away on national duties and cannot return to base within a day, like those on naval patrol and maritime duties.

Our southern neighbour has shown us that elections can be successfully conducted without postal voting. Surely we can do the same or even better.

Patriot would like to take this opportunity again to urge our brethren in the armed forces and police who are currently in service to exercise their democratic duty to vote without fear or favour.

Voting is also your patriotic duty.

The writer is president, National Patriot Association.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.