Daily Express News
8 Jan 2008
Tawau: The Election Commission (SPR) has deleted thousands of names from the electoral rolls after it was found that they had either died or were non-citizens.

Disclosing this here, Monday, SPR Chairman Tan Sri Haji Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman, however, regretted that some deaths among Malaysian voters were not reported to the relevant authorities.
As of now, there are no longer “phantom voters” in the country, and most of those on the electoral rolls are Malaysian citizens after thorough checks with the National Registration Department, he said.
He was speaking to reporters after opening a two-day course-cum-briefing for officers and personnel involved in assisting the SPR for the coming general election, at a local hotel here.
In this respect, Rashid hoped the people would refrain from hurling baseless accusations that could tarnish the SPR’s integrity.
Any form of dissatisfaction should be immediately referred to the Election Commission towards achieving amicable settlement, rather be discussed in coffeeshops, he said.
Furthermore, he reminded that any allegation being referred to the SPR must be substantiated with concrete evidence.
Rashid assured that the SPR would maintain its integrity as an independent entity, contrary to allegations that it is siding with the Government.
Those having registered as voters with the Commission should strive to check the SPR website www.spr.gov.my to ensure they are not deprived of exercising their citizenship rights as voters, he said.
In Kepala Batas, Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin says only the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, has the absolute power and right to comment on the general election date.
“No need to ask (the election date) to politicians or ministers, including Election Commission chairman (Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman)…I don’t understand why he (Abdul Rashid) said the election is around the corner,” said Khairy who called for a stop to speculations on the election date by any quarters.
Asked to comment on the election fever being felt in the country, Khairy said some groups have resorted to turn current issues such as cooking oil shortage and extra charges imposed by schools and parent-teacher associations into political issues.
“The temperature of general election is very high to the point that whatever action taken by the government is considered to be for the benefit of the general election,” he added.