POSTAL VOTING SYSTEM IRREGULARITIES

Salahuddin Ayob told reporters today that the name list given by the EC on nomination day last Saturday deferred from the list displayed during the voting yesterday at the Army Basic Training Centre (Pusasda).

Polling of postal votes differ from the usual civilian casting of votes.

According to EC deputy secretary of operation Datuk Noordin Che Ngah, the system for postal voting is different compared to the civilian voting system where names of the voters are read out when they collect their ballot papers.
Since the polling agents were seated behind the polling clerks, they could see how many ballot papers are given out and if there were any discrepancies, they could inquire immediately,”

PAS claims irregularities in postal voting system

PORT DICKSON (Oct 9, 2009): PAS claims there were several irregularities in the postal voting system for the Bagan Pinang state seat by-election which started yesterday, and wants the Election Commission (EC) to disregard the votes.

PAS Bagan Pinang by-election director Salahuddin Ayob told reporters today that the name list given by the EC on nomination day last Saturday deferred from the list displayed during the voting yesterday at the Army Basic Training Centre (Pusasda).

“We noticed that the names on the list were different yesterday and this is an offence under Regulation 14(A) of the Elections (Conduct of Elections) Regulations, 1981,” said Salahudin.

He said failure to follow the regulation, if proved, could even lead to the by-election being called off.

“Due to the irregularities, EC should not take into account the postal voting and should only proceed with the normal voting which will take place this Sunday,” he added.

When asked if the party will take legal action to call off the election, Salahuddin said the PAS has left the issue up to their panel of lawyers.

He also said although the EC had allowed polling agents to be present during the postal voting, which ends today, he was unhappy with the minimal role the party’s polling agents had to play.

“We sent eight polling agents but no details were given to our agents; they only witnessed the process of the voters sending their ballot papers, that’s all.

“Due to the irregularities, EC should not take into account the postal voting and should only proceed with the normal voting which will take place this Sunday,” he added.
.

“Then the polling agents will take down the details and compare it with the voters list given to them.

He claimed in the camp yesterday, no such announcement was made, thus the poling agents could not keep track of who had voted.

The issue of transparency during the postal voting is something the Islamic party has been harping on for the by-election, as 4,604 of the 13,664 voters of this constituency are postal voters.

Salahuddin said the party will meet with the EC again today to bring up the issues mentioned.

When contacted, EC deputy secretary of operation Datuk Noordin Che Ngah denied there were any irregularities, and said the postal voting took place yesterday smoothly and with transparency.

“We did not receive any complaints from the polling agents yesterday. If they had anything to say, they should have voiced it out immediately yesterday,” Noordin told theSun.

He said according to the EC’s regulations, there is no need for polling agents to even be present when postal voting takes place.

“We can just send out the votes to them (postal voters) and not disclose the information to anyone but we allowed the agents to be present this time because we want to be transparent,” added Noordin.

He also said the system for postal voting is different compared to the civilian voting system where names of the voters are read out when they collect their ballot papers.

"We don't do that in postal voting."

Noordin said this time around, polling agents were stationed inside the polling station and were seated behind the polling clerks.

“Usually, the agents are not inside the polling station; they are stationed about 50m away.

“This time, since the agents were seated behind the polling clerks, they could see how many ballot papers are given out and if there were any discrepancies, they could inquire immediately,” added Noordin.

Hemananthani Sivanandam/newsdesk@thesundaily.com


PAS TUNTUT HENTIKAN UNDI POS SERTA MERTA