Implement sufficient campaign period for overseas voters - Global Bersih

The Global Bersih movement has reiterated calls for the Election Commission (EC) to implement a sufficient campaign period to ensure a workable overseas postal voting system for the 15th general election (GE15).

It urged the EC to extend the campaign period to a minimum of 21 to 25 days to allow sufficient time for overseas Malaysians to receive and send their ballots to their respective polling stations.

"Despite the introduction of automatic registration of voters, overseas Malaysians still need to take the additional step of registering as postal voters to be able to vote by post from abroad.

"Global Bersih urges all Malaysians living overseas to register as overseas voters as soon as possible to reduce the risk of processing backlogs experienced during the Johor election," said the group of overseas Malaysians in a statement by its steering committee.

The group cautioned that if the extra time is not given, there could be a risk of overseas voters facing difficulties in exercising their right to vote through the postal voting process, due to the increase in the number of overseas voters, coupled with the monsoon season and Covid-19 pandemic challenges.

Allow non-Malaysian witnesses

Global Bersih also "reminded" the EC of how overseas Malaysians struggled during the 14th general election to get their ballots back to Malaysia, as the 11-day campaign period was too short.

"These problems will be aggravated by the huge growth in the pool of overseas postal voters after changes such as automatic voter registration, online registration for overseas voters, lowering of the voting age to 18, the inclusion of Malaysians living in Singapore, South Thailand, Brunei, and Kalimantan in the overseas postal voting system, and the removal of the requirement to have been present for 30 days in Malaysia during the five years before the election."

The group suggested the EC allow non-Malaysians to act as witnesses on the postal ballot documents, as it would be challenging to find Malaysian witnesses for voters in areas with few Malaysians.

Foreign missions should also play their part by communicating up-to-date and accurate information about the postal voting process to overseas Malaysians, it added.

"Global Bersih stands in solidarity with fellow Malaysians voting from within the country who will have to brave the monsoon to take part in the upcoming election, and calls upon overseas Malaysians to prepare to vote by creating a user account on the EC's portal and registering as an overseas postal voter now."

The EC is expected to meet at its headquarters in Putrajaya on Oct 20 to decide on key dates for GE15.

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