Incomplete addresses complicate postal voting in Batu Sapi - palace
In the run-up to the Batu Sapi by-election, various groups such as electoral watchdog Bersih, have urged the Election Commission to expand postal voting facilities to all Malaysians to allow the election to proceed safely amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, the palace today said the EC’s data revealed that nearly half of Batu Sapi voters have incomplete addresses which would complicate such a measure.
In the run-up to the Batu Sapi by-election, various groups such as electoral watchdog Bersih, have urged the Election Commission to expand postal voting facilities to all Malaysians to allow the election to proceed safely amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, the palace today said the EC’s data revealed that nearly half of Batu Sapi voters have incomplete addresses which would complicate such a measure.
“Based on the EC’s data, there are 32,962 registered voters in P185 Batu Sapi, of whom 3,170 have addresses outside the parliamentary constituency including in Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak.
“In addition, it is estimated that a total of 16,000 voters have a general address, meaning there is no house number and this would complicate the implementation of postal voting,” said the Comptroller of the Royal Household Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin.
He said this was among the factors considered by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah before assenting to a proclamation of emergency in the constituency today which would allow the by-election to be postponed to another date.
Nomination day for the Batu Sapi by-election was originally slated for Monday next week, while polling was set for Dec 5.
Currently, only seven categories of voters can vote through postal ballots.
These are military, police, and media personnel, election officials, and Malaysians who reside abroad including students and civil servants on foreign postings.
The proposal to extend postal voting was made amid concerns that movements of people during polling and campaigning activities would help spread to Covid-19 outbreak despite the EC’s efforts to tighten precautions against the disease.
The Sabah state election in September has been blamed for exacerbating the Covid-19 outbreak in the state and its spread to Peninsular Malaysia.
The Batu Sapi by-election was triggered following the demise of former de facto law minister and incumbent Liew Vui Keong on Oct 2.
Meanwhile, in a televised address today, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin assured that the Batu Sapi by-election will be held as soon as possible once the Covid-19 pandemic is over.
“When the by-election is held, voters will be able to exercise their democratic rights in a safer, more peaceful, and a calmer atmosphere,” he said.
