PAS Youth remains unconvinced with the Election Commission (EC)’s elaborate explanation for the massive number of voters “removed from being civilian voters” to postal voters, saying it is still illogical.  

PAS Youth information chief Suhaizan Kaiat ( below ) said he would meet EC officials to discuss the matter.

                            

NONE “However, we truly feel the transfer of 18,493 people from civilian voters to become postal voters is truly suspicious. That means more than 6,000 a month are being transferred out in ...to become postal voters.”

“Certainly, this must be the work of certain questionable agents in registering their names with such haste within the three-months period. I am not saying the EC is behind it but the sudden move of civilian voters to become postal voters within the three-month period arouses suspicion,” he said.

Furthermore, Suhaizan said he had also received a complaint from the wife of a security personnel in Penang, who claimed that she had not applied to become a postal voter but yet discovered that her name was transferred.

Surely, he said, such claims prove someone is behind this, and this is why the PAS Youth is raising its concern as the general election looms.

Suhaizan reminded that the Deputy Prime Minister and Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin had said before the end of the Umno assembly that the general elections is “ within months ”.  

On Thursday the EC chairperson confirmed that the 18,493 are the spouses of security personnel who had applied to become postal voters but he denied any irregularity as EC cannot reject the applications made by the voters if they qualify.

Abolish postal voters

Suhaizan raised PAS’ concerns last Wednesday over the updated third quarter 2010 electoral rolls .

NONE Following this discrepancy, Suhaizan has called for the abolition of postal voters, that has continued to raise doubts over its transparency and whether it is democratic.

Furthermore, he said the notion of party officials being free to observe voting in camps or police stations was false, as they are powerless to object .

“Hence there is no actual freedom as portrayed. Observers cannot object to anything as this could be overruled by the camp commandant.

“Besides this, when the person receives the postal vote, it is sometimes kept for days before it is cast. This raises concerns that it may be marked by someone other than the voters themselves,” said the PAS Youth information chief.

NONE Suhaizan said that the EC chairperson himself, Abdul Aziz Yusof ( left ), had also voiced his concerns over postal voters since the Sibu by-election, but has not been serious in implementing any changes.

He said that representatives from political parties had been waiting for a meeting with Abdul Aziz and other EC officials for some time to discuss the concerns and suggestions over the issue of postal votes.

“I hope that with the two by-elections over, the EC can meet us this November as any postponement before the impending general elections would result in doubts over the commission’s concern of transparency in postal votes.”

 

“We feel this problem (of postal votes) should be addressed immediately so there can be no doubt or questions on the possibility that elections are rigged,” he said.