Press Statement: 3rd May, 2013
GAZETTED ELECTORAL ROLL STILL PLAGUED WITH IRREGULARITIES
PEMANTAU is disappointed with the results of the documentation and monitoring performed on the electoral roll since it was gazetted by the Election Commission (EC).
PEMANTAU had received a total of 592 reports as of 2/5/2013. The statistics are as follow:-
The highest number irregularities reported are cases where voters were registered but their names were missing from the electoral roll. These registered voters consists of those who had registered but have never voted before and those who had voted in the past. A total number reports from those who have voted previously stood at 103 cases comprised of 17% and 230 reports@ 39% were reported by those who had never voted previously.
The highest number of reports were received from Johor with 115 cases@19% followed by Penang with 87 cases/15% and Wilayah Persekutuan with 80 cases/14% of the total reports received.
The overall highest number of complainants were aged between 20-29 years old at 211 cases@36% followed by 208 cases@35% reported by individuals aged between 30-39 years old. Female complainants led the male complainants by 44 reports at 318 cases@54% the total of reports received.
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Registered as a voter but never voted before, now deregistered.
We received 230 reports@ 39%, as many have checked their voting status previously and were confirmed as registered voters. There was a case where the registered voter checked her status and found that it was still there in February but when she last checked on 29th April, no record was found. -
Registered and voted previously, now deregistered.
There were 103 reports@ 17% such complaints received. Without a doubt, these are registered voters who have been deregistered without their knowledge.Ms. Fernandez from KL complained that she has been living in the same address and voted in all previous elections including the one in 2008. When she had checked her status in September 2012 it was still intact but it is now missing.
Mr. Mak from Kuala Kangsar, who has voted before, reported that when he checked using his IC number in March 2013, found that the name of a Malay in Kem Tentera Sg Besi appeared. When he e-mailed SPR, they replied that no such record was found. When he checked again, no record of him being ever registered was found. -
Never registered but now registered without their knowledge.
We received 116 reports@ 20% of such cases from not just within Malaysia but from Malaysians living in many parts of the world.People like Puan Nor Aini who is a permanent resident in Saudi Arabia who has never registered nor voted found that she is registered to vote. She is very concern that someone else would be voting on her behalf and has consulted her lawyer about this matter. She is not alone, many complainants have been living overseas for many years and found themselves registered to vote.
We know of one lady who has lived in Singapore for many years, found herself registered to vote as an early voter in P.152 Putrajaya. In order to prevent someone from voting on her behalf, very early in the morning of 30th April when early voters were due to cast their ballots, she drove all the way to Putrajaya to cast her vote.
Another interesting case was Ms. Chong from Segambut, KL who never registered but now is registered to vote in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. What is going on here?A number of the cases where OKU or people with disabilities who were registered without their caretaker’s knowledge or consent. Is someone going to vote on their behalf?
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Registered voters who were relocated to another voting constituency for GE13.
We have 54 reports@ 9% such cases from around the country, with some sent to vote in another state which they have never lived in before.Mdm Maya wrote, “I am 81 years old and have lived at Bangsar Baru since 1973 and this is the registered address in MyKad, so why am I registered to vote in Segambut instead of Lembah Pantai!
Ms. Teh of KL also complained that she has been relocated to Kota Kinabalu to vote for GE13.
We met a Mr. Wong from Johor Bahru who went to the SPR office in JB to query why he has to go to Bukit Mertajam, Penang to vote when he has never even heard of the place before. He was told they is nothing they can do about it and that if he really wanted to vote, he could travel to Bukit Mertajam or wait until GE14 to vote after he has changed back his voting constituency in JB. -
Various other problems with their voting status.
We received complaints from 86 reports@ 15% people with different issues.A number of the complaints were that they received postcards with voting details from BN addressed to multiple people whom they don’t know, encouraging them to vote for BN.
Complaints were also received from overseas postal voters who voted on 28th April that their names are still in the SPR’s record as voters in Malaysia. Some are wondering if they should fly home to vote again so that no one else can vote on their behalf.One complainant from Johor Bahru thought she had registered and though her record could not be found, she has been receiving SMSes urging her to support BN Selangor.
Other complaints included errors in registered name, gender and deceased family members still on electoral roll.
In a remarkable case, a daughter of deceased mother who died in 1990 had reported that her mother’s name is still on the electoral roll. Strangely, records published her mother’s new MyKad number and it caused a major confusion. At the time of her mother’s death, the new MyKad policy had not even been tabled and implemented. More baffling was that who would have registered for the new MyKad on behalf of her deceased mother?
Another deceased person’s name was discovered to appear on the electoral roll and is certified to be an eligible voter in P159 Pasir Gudang. He had passed away seven years ago.
A deceased woman who passed away in 1981 had her name registered on the electoral roll. There was a voting card sent by Barisan Nasional to her residential address at Ladang Tanah Merah calling her to vote for Barisan Nasional’s candidates in Johor.
The Bersih 2.0 Steering Committee is very concern and like many of these who complained, outraged that the Election Commission has either, through utter incompetence or maliciousness, denied these Malaysians the right to vote through deregistration or through relocation of their voting constituencies across DUN , state, and even across the divide of East and Peninsular Malaysia.
We are also concern that phantom voters or impersonators will be voting for those who did not register themselves, those living overseas, OKU, and the deceased.
We fear that what we have uncovered in this last week is just the tip of the iceberg and that for GE13, tens of thousands of Malaysians will find out onMay the 5th that they cannot vote or have to travel far away to cast their votes.
This is an outrageous situation and Malaysians will not stand for it. As if it is not treacherous enough that non-citizens are given the right to vote, as evidenced in the unconcluded Royal Commission of Inquiry in Sabah, and the many reports of Bangladeshis, Myanmarese, Nepalese, and Indonesians being given voting rights in the coming General Election, now we have this – WHERE MALAYSIANS ARE DENIED THEIR VOTING RIGHTS.
This is a betrayal of the highest order by the Election Commission and the Barisan Nasional government and we call on all Malaysians who can still vote to come out early and vote on the 5th of May to minimize the impact of fraudulent votes.
We also urges all those who could not find their records online at SPR’s website to also turn up on Polling Day and proceed to vote until they are told they cannot. They should then lodge a complaint with the SPR with the help of one of the political party volunteers.
As Malaysians, we must not be denied our rights to choose our government and the destiny of our children.
PEMANTAU Pilihan Raya Rakyat comprises of:-
Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections 2.0 (BERSIH 2.0);
Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections (MAFREL); and
Pusat KOMAS.
For further enquiries, please contact the BERSIH 2.0 secretariat at
03-77723275 or 019-4380428