Malaysiakini
The DAP has submitted an official complaint to the Election Commission (EC) over the controversy surrounding the tallying of postal votes during the Sibu by-election last Sunday.
Youth chief Anthony Loke handed over an official letter detailing the party’s grouses to a representative of EC chairperson Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof.
In the two-page letter, the DAP listed five complaints, of which four relate to postal voting.
In the two-page letter, the DAP listed five complaints, of which four relate to postal voting.
The ‘irregularities’ pointed out by the DAP are:
1) More postal votes were returned than was issued out by the EC.
2) The questionable practice by the EC of allowing 290 of its staff who took part in the by-election to register as postal voters and take home their postal voting slips.
3) The different signatures signed by the same witness on different postal ballots from army camps.
4) The two-hour delay in announcing the postal vote tally and the missing Form 15 listing the results of the postal vote tally, which is still outstanding.
5) A Pakatan polling agent was refused entry to a polling centre located in a longhouse in Limbang.
Also present were PAS Youth information chief Suhaizan Kaiat, DAP assistant national organising secretary Wu Hin Ven and Negri Sembilan DAP committee member Mary Josephine.
All three had been on duty as polling agents during the by-election, which the DAPs Wong Ho Leng won by 398 votes.
The EC had blamed the DAP for causing the delay.

Consider doing away with postal ballots
Loke told reporters at a press conference afterward that he hoped that EC would take the matter seriously.
“The commission should change or its credibility will continue to be questioned,” he said.
He also added that the EC had promised to provide a written reply to his official letter.
Loke also made the suggestion that the EC should look into the possibility of abolishing postal votes.
“Only a few cops and army personnel need to vote via post – and most of them are in the area – but they have to vote by post just because they are in the police or army.
“Why not make army camps a polling centre, allow polling agents to monitor and allow candidates to campaign in camps.
“As of now, the PM and federal ministers can visit army camps but opposition candidates cannot,” he added.
Suhaizan chimed in, “This is not a level-playing field.”
Quizzed on the possibility of BN using the discrepancies pointed out by DAP to go to court and invalidate the Sibu election results, Loke said that it is BN’s right to do so.
“But they did not complain about it during the by-election,” he added.