Include voters' photos in electoral roll, EC urged

SABAH RCI The Election Commission (EC) has been urged to consider including photographs of voters in the electoral roll to ensure that those who cast their ballots are bona fide voters.

The suggestion was offered by conducting officer Manoj Kurup (left) during today’s proceedings of the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) into illegal immigrants in Sabah.

He said this could prevent a situation where more than one individual holds the same MyKad number, as raised during yesterday’s proceedings.

Yesterday, one-time Pakistani national, now stateless, Ahmad Latif Jumaani said he voted twice using an identity card obtained through dubious means.

National Registration Department (NRD) data shows the identity card number belongs to someone else who shares the same name.

Manoj also said that the proposal is viable, since  the EC has access to the NRD database, which has photographs of MyKad holders, through the Agency Link-Up System (Alis).

To this, witness Yusniati Ishak, who is an EC officer, said the suggestion can be submitted but noted that it could be "a little difficult for voters to provide a photograph" to the commission.

"Everyone carries a lot of photographs now, and we all have handphones (with cameras)," Manoj retorted.

His suggestion was also supported by watching brief lawyer David Fung, who suggested that the photographs be included when the EC displays the draft rolls on a quarterly basis.

Asked if she felt it would be helpful, Yusniati said: “The EC does not consider photographs as something which has to be included (onto the roll).

“However, this is a suggestion I can bring forward; but this must be first studied properly before being taken on board,” she said.

Asked if the photographs can also be in colour, she said: “I can propose this to the EC.”