The allegation made by some opposition leaders that postal and early votings are fixed deposits for BN’s victory in an election is baseless, Umno Supreme Council member Ahmad Shabery Cheek.

He said the allegation was also part of the opposition's continuous moves to defame the ruling BN government.    

Ahmad Shabery said early and postal votings were aimed at easing the democratic process for security forces personnel to perform their responsibility as registered voters.          

"It is an irresponsible allegation. Early voting is not a move to give an advantage to BN...it is a normal practice during an election involving military, police and other security forces personnel to ensure that they could discharge their responsibility as voters," he told a press conference after presenting agro-based industry equipment to recipients at Taman Bunga Raya in Kuala Kangsar today.

Ahmad Shabery, who is also Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister, said this in response to the PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar's remark claiming that early and postal votings had served as fixed deposits for BN's victory in an election.        

"The voting concept must be more transparent to prevent fraud. In the 13th general election, BN won a total of 133 out of 222 parliamentary seats, but the victory for 30 of those seats, including that of Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar, were secured through votes casted by early and postal voters," Nurul Izzah was quoted as saying at a press conference yesterday.          

Ahmad Shabery said the opposition should realise that their defeat in the last general election was the result of their own weaknesses, failure to unite and various political scandals.

"Their failure to garner votes through early and postal votings was probably due to the attitude of their leaders who had always bad mouthing security forces personnel in the country," he said.         

The Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar by-elections are being held following the death of incumbents Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad and Noriah Kasnon in a helicopter crash in Sebuyau, Sarawak, on May 5.        

In Kuala Kangsar, the fight is between BN, PAS, Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) and Independent candidates, while in Sungai Besar, between BN, PAS and Amanah. The polling day for both by-elections will be held simultaneously on June 18.    

- Bernama