Malay pressure group Pribumi Perkasa Negara (Perkasa) has rejected the Election Commission's move to use indelible ink for the upcoming 13th general election, saying it is a step backward.

NONE Its secretary-general Syed Hassan Syed Ali (left), as reported in Sinar Harian , said Perkasa believes that many Malays would not come out to vote if the indelible ink is used.

“It is a shame for countries which are more advanced compared to other developing countries to use indelible ink in the general election,” said Syed Hassan in a statement yesterday.

“Malaysia is not like other countries like Somalia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan or Cambodia or other countries which are far behind and whose identification record for their citizens are also not advanced.

“This is totally a shame,” he added.

Syed Hassan said the EC was succumbing to prey or pressure from groups calling for indelible ink to be used, as it is a way to prevent Malays and Muslims from coming out to vote.

“Who will benefit if the Malays do not come out to vote. I myself would not come out to vote if the indelible ink is used.

“There is a possibility that there are many Perkasa members who would not go out to vote,” the Perkasa secretary-general explained.

Syed Hassan wants the EC to rethink its move to use indelible ink for the general election.

Two days ago, EC chief Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof announced the use of indelible ink in the general election for the first time, in addition to allowing advance voting for military and police personnel along with their spouses.

PAS: No basis for ink worries

Meanwhile, PAS Youth has countered Perkasa’s arguments, saying that they have no basis to claim that the use of indelible ink would turn away Malay voters because it had already been approved by the Malaysian Fatwa Council.

In addition, its information chief Riduan Mohd Nor said “in a peaceful country like Malaysia, Malays do not need to worry about voting because no one would threaten Malays into not  fulfilling their right and obligation (to vote).”

He also slammed Perkasa’s arguments that Malaysia is too advanced to use indelible ink as “shallow”.

“This is because all this while our country did not use indelible ink, so all kinds of fraud and abuse in the electoral roll occurred,” he said in a statement today.