YOURSAY | ‘Let’s frustrate the Election Commission. Vote we must and let nothing stop us.’

Newday: What did I expect? A weekend, maybe Monday or Tuesday at worst - but Wednesday?

Talk about stuffing up the carrying out of business. We may as well write the entire week off. Are there any mathematicians or statisticians that can work out the estimated business losses?

Not since 1959 has an election been held midweek.

At last, we see the start of round three of the mother of all boxing matches. BN has been penalised two points for the below-the-belt announcement of a midweek election that can only favour the ruling party.

Clever Voter: The choice of date isn't a surprise. The real test is for those who need to travel.

It is obvious the authorities are testing voters to the limit, but it is not the end of the world. If each one of the eligible voters is committed, with the momentum that has been built thus far, we might as well go the extra mile to exercise our last democratic right before it disappears.

Test the resolution of the people, and let’s see how far the agility of the people can be stretched. No one is saying it is going to be easy, but at the very least it will be a peaceful transition. People have to make it happen.

Anonymous_1371527725: Having the polling day midweek is truly premeditated, with the obvious intention of discouraging voters from having their voices heard, even if it is once every five years.

This time around, every responsible citizen of Malaysia must make voting intentional. Reject the evil, vote for a change, frustrate the Election Commission. Vote we must and let nothing stop us.

Those in positions of power (bosses and all), please encourage your subordinates to vote and grant them leave.

Apa Nama: At last, 'D-Day' has been fixed. Whatever the date, we need to find ways to overcome the hurdles in order to ensure the voter turnout is more than 85 percent. Otherwise, we can say bye bye to democracy.

Do not complain about, grumble over or curse the date of polling. Please use your wisdom to ensure Malaysia is saved and as prosperous as it was previously. Best wishes to all Malaysian voters!

Shovelnose: This particularly deters those working in the cities from returning to their hometowns to vote, more than anything else.

The short nomination period is also meant to disenfranchise overseas postal voters, as the ballots can only be printed after the acceptance of nominations, and the return of the ballot in time is not guaranteed.

Gerard Lourdesamy: What was the reason to fix polling day on a Wednesday?

The EC is a disgrace. Why not just go and join the BN and campaign for them?

The private sector should give the day off. Outstation voters may need at least two days of unrecorded leave. The EC, like the BN, has become the biggest cheat in the country.

Weekend polls unfair to some states, says BN strategist

Quigonbond: BN strategic communications deputy director Eric See-To fails to say that election day in the US is locked into the constitution, which means even overseas people who choose to fly back can already plan months ahead.

In Malaysia, to have the election on weekends is good for most states. It may be unfair for some, but is being unfair for some better than being unfair for all?

A Wednesday polling day just does not make sense at all, except for what Pakatan Harapan says, which is to discourage voter turnout.

Malaysians now have a choice. You either think that the odds are stacked even further against the opposition, or this is very well the second last straw that will break the back and really rile you up to exercise your vote and take responsibility to set the country and its institutions like EC right.

I say the second last straw because there may well still be the last straw. This could either be mass disqualification during nomination day, or perhaps the use of National Security Council Act 2016 in the event Umno loses by a hair's breadth.

SelangorKu: The BN strategist must be ignorant of the Pareto principle, or the 80/20 rule. Policies should be made based on the 80 percent majority whose weekend is Saturday to Sunday. Also, Wednesday is not a weekend for everyone.

Schools need to be closed and businesses and factories need to close, thereby causing a slowdown in our economy for the day.

Does the EC make decisions in a silo without considering economic, financial and manpower ramifications?

Iiiizzzziiii: If a decision to hold GE14 on a Wednesday was based on the logic given by this so-called strategic communications deputy director, then he has just cost BN the election.

There is nothing strategic or subtle about his response. It is a direct response to a simple question, laced with facts that do not justify the outcome.

There are 13 states in Malaysia, and in a democracy, the majority is always the preferred choice. Now, what kind of logic is this man trying to establish here?

Anonymous_1380088789: In Western countries such as the UK and US, your voting constituency is based on where you are residing at the time.

The problem with our country is that your voting constituency is based on your IC address, which is completely wrong as it is often not your up-to-date address.

You should not need to travel hundreds of miles just to vote.

Lord Denning: As See-To rightly pointed out, Harapan chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s last two elections as prime minister were held on a Monday. However, this allowed people to travel over the weekend.

If it was on a Friday, west coast workers could still travel to the east coast, Kedah or Johor on Thursday night or Friday morning and take the weekend to come back.

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