Association wants EC to let people with disabilities vote earlier

Damai Disabled Person Association Malaysia has called for the Electoral Commission (EC) to allow people with disabilities to cast their votes earlier than Nov 19.

The association’s president Murugeswaran Veerasamy suggested Nov 15 as a possible date for Orang Kurang Upaya (OKU) cardholders to go and vote.

He added that since the voting day falls during the monsoon season, people with disabilities (PWDs) are likely to find more difficulties voting at their designated polling stations.

“It would be best for the EC to take the necessary measures to ensure that people with disabilities would be able to cast their votes without any obstacles,” Murugeswaran said in a statement.

On Oct 16, the association and other groups within the PWDs community also made several demands for the EC to improve the accessibility of voting venues for voters with disabilities.

Some of the suggestions include implementing Bahasa Isyarat Malaysia (Malaysian Sign Language) interpreting services for deaf voters and reader accessibility for blind voters at polling centres.

“Studies show that 15 percent of the nation's population is made up of people with disabilities (PWDs).

“In Malaysia, about 600,000 PWDs are registered with the Welfare Department. Of that number, about 193,000 are eligible to vote in GE15,” Murugeswaran added.

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