EC told to fix unauthorised changes to voter roll – Tian Chua

POSTED ON APRIL 25, 2013 BY ADMIN

The Election Commission (EC) needs to immediately look into complaints of alleged last-minute changes to voters records as discovered through the EC website, said PKR.

PKR vice-president Tian Chua in a statement today said the problem of a voter’s details being changed without the person’s knowledge has to be resolved, as it can disrupt the voter from exercising his or her vote and affect the democratic election process.

“There are many problems with voter information being changed without their knowledge, especially in their voting district being changed or being registered as absentee voters.

“Such problems make things difficult for voters, as they may not be able to make arrangements to vote in the altered locations on polling day.

“Therefore the EC has to investigate these cases and not just let them be,” he said.

He said PKR has received several complaints on this matter from voters.

“For example, three voters who had studied in Taiwan but who have returned to Malaysia to vote, have just discovered they have been entered in the roll as absentee voters.

“This has caused confusion among the voters as to whether they need to return to Taiwan to cast their vote or not,” said Chua.

Diluting Chinese votes?

In another case, one Johorean staying in Puchong, Selangor told PKR that three of his friends and a colleague had their voting address changed without their knowledge.

“Because of this, this person suspects the authorities are trying to reduce the number of Chinese voters (in the real constituencies),” he added.

According to Chua, the Johorean said his three friends had received letters from BN telling them to go back to their home towns to vote.

“They were surprised, as they had already changed their addresses (in the EC records) to Puchang since the last general election.

“Another thing that makes it suspicious is that the letters were sent under BN’s name,” Chua quoted the individual saying.

Chua called on the EC to explain these alleged irregularities lest the authorities be accused of trying to influence the outcome of the election through fraudulent means.