Groups urge PM to expand postal voting for out-of-state Sabahans

Civil society groups urged Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to direct federal agencies to help the Election Commission (EC) expand postal voting for thousands of out-of-state Sabahans ahead of the state election on Nov 29.

Bersih, Engage, Rose, Tindak, Projek Sama, Suara Mahasiswa UMS, and several Sabah-based organisations said the EC had the legal authority and operational capacity to extend postal voting to more groups without changing existing laws.

They argued that postal voting should be immediately extended to Sabahan students studying in public universities across Malaysia, Sabahans who are hospitalised or living in nursing homes, and individuals directly involved in the election, such as candidates, polling agents, and counting agents.

The groups said the Higher Education Ministry, Health Ministry, and Social Welfare Department should work with the EC to coordinate the distribution and collection of ballots for voters unable to travel home.

“Expanding postal voting requires no amendment of any law.

“The EC can simply declare new categories of eligible postal voters under its powers in the Elections (Postal Voting) Regulations 2003,” their statement read.

They added that Article 115 of the Federal Constitution obliges all public authorities to assist the Commission in carrying out its duties.

The coalition criticised the EC for its continued silence and refusal to act on repeated calls to enfranchise out-of-state voters, warning that the policy effectively discriminates against poorer Sabahans.

“Overseas Sabahans can vote by post, but domestic voters are still expected to buy air tickets to return home. This creates a class division between those who can afford to vote and those who cannot,” the groups said.

Chronic voter exclusion

They noted that voter turnout in Sabah has historically lagged behind the national average, and that the upcoming election risks recording one of the lowest participation rates in the country’s history.

They pointed out that in the 15th general election, voter turnout was 74.7 percent nationwide but only 64.4 percent in Sabah, a gap of more than 10 percentage points that, they said, reflected a chronic problem of voter exclusion.

They also warned that if the EC and the federal government fail to act, voter turnout could fall below 60 percent, undermining the legitimacy of the next state government.

“The EC must stop its dogmatic insistence on residential voting and demonstrate its commitment to facilitating access to the ballot,” they added.

The groups further called on all political parties contesting the election, including Upko, PKR, PBS, and Warisan, to pledge in their manifestos that the next Sabah government will make postal voting a fundamental right for all Sabahan voters, whether living in the peninsula or abroad.

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