While opposition parties in peninsular Malaysia were in favour of automatic voter registration, Sabah-based BN component party Upko is opposed to the plan as the state was in a unique situation.

cpps 9mp forum 240408 wilfred madius tangau Its secretary-general Wilfred Madius Tangau ( left ) said this was due to the fact that foreigners are illegitimately holding identity cards as a result of the controversial ‘Project IC’ campaign in the 1990s.

"We are not confident about automatic voter registration because as long as Project IC is not solved, even illegal immigrants with identity cards will be able to register as voters.

"If it can be cleaned (JPN database) then we will agree. As long as these holders of illegal ICs are dealt with," he said during a hearing by the parliamentary select committee on electoral reform in Kota Kinabalu today.

Upko is one of two BN component parties which addressed the PSC, with the other being the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) is scheduled to present its views tomorrow.

Seat allocations unfair

Wilfred also raised the question of Parliamentary seat allocations for Sabah and Sarawak which he says did not comply with the agreement during the formation of Malaysia.

"When Malaysia was first formed, Malaya had 104 parliamentary seats while Sabah had 16, Sarawak had 24 while Singapore had 15. If we analyse the percentage of seats outside of peninsular Malaysia, it is 34 percent.

This, he added, was according to a legal provision to prevent peninsular Malaysia from controlling more than two-thirds of the majority in Parliament and subject Sabah and Sarawak to the mercy of peninsular Malaysia.

"But during the 1974 general election, the seats in peninsular Malaysia increased to 154 but there was no change for Sabah and Sarawak.

"When the Election Commission determines the number of seats, it has failed to consider the history and provision of the Malaysian agreement and the demands in the Cobbold Commission," he said.

Currently there are 222 seats in Parliament, of which 25 are in Sabah while another 31 are in Sarawak.

DAP member goes rogue

Meanwhile, a DAP member who claimed to represent the party in Sabah, Adris Taripin stirred observers when he called for an outright abolition of postal votes and asked that government servants who are away and unable to vote to "sacrifice their rights".

Alarmed by the statement, PSC member Anthony Loke, who is also national DAP Youth chief interjected: "This is not the national DAP's stance..."

"This is based on my views as a member of Sabah DAP, not because of the central DAP or the chairperson of Sabah DAP... this is my personal view," insisted Adris.

However, Loke clarified that DAP stance is that every citizen should be allowed to vote regardless of where they are.

"The responsibility is to find the best and most transparent mechanism for them to vote, wherever they are."

Another PSC member, Azmin Ali who represents PKR, was unable to make it to today's hearing and has informed the PSC chairperson, Maximus Johnity Ongkili.

Sabah DAP secretary Edwin Bosin later took the stand to officially represent the party and refuted Adris's claim to represent Sabah DAP.

"Earlier we had a DAP 'representative', but he is not. This is with due respect, anyone  who wants to represent the party at an event like this should at least obtain a letter."

Project IC has 'tainted electoral roll' in Sabah