Postal voting for military and police personnel has been redefined as advance voting and will be handled only by Election Commission (EC) officers in the next general election. EC deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said advance voting would be fully handled by specially designated assistant returning officers (ROs) instead of the personnel’s superior officers in military camps and district police headquarters. <\/p>\n
Whilst abolishing postal voting, except for members of the national security forces operating overseas and at the borders, is welcome there is concern that there is no difference in ensuring a free, fair, neutral and independent elections if political parties still do not have full access during the voting process. DAP insists that monitors of political parties and EC must be present during the voting process to ensure that there is no manipulation or cheating. <\/p>\n
All Malaysian law enforcement and armed forces personnel sacrifice their lives every day to protect our country and should also enjoy the same rights and privileges as everyone else. Therefore, voting should be made as easy and accessible as possible for them. <\/p>\n
In the current practice, postal voting is virtually conducted by the armed forces or police themselves. Counting is then done separately, where you have the ballot in a sealed envelope and an accompanying form that carries the signature of the witness and other details. As a result, this obvious lack of transparency has given rise to suspicions that votes can be traced to the voter, which is unconstitutional.<\/p>\n
The current proposal to do away with postal voting is therefore seen to be a remedy to the above problem. However, the big question is: how will it then be done? From media reports, it would appear that armed forces and police personnel would cast their votes two or three days earlier at polling stations. If that is true, the question also arises whether all the normal checks and balances will be adhered to, such as the availability of polling agents and so on. <\/p>\n
Lastly, it would also be interesting to see whether these changes will be implemented in the upcoming General Election. It is up to Election Commission Chairman to prove that these changes are positive and would add safeguards that would prevent cheating instead of making easier for certain parties to cheat during postal or advanced voting. <\/p>\n
DAP fully supports a more transparent polling process, and hope that the Election Commission will ensure that this principle is adhered to. In addition, if we can now provide normal polling opportunities for armed forces and police personnel, we should also do so for the one million Malaysians residing or working overseas. Singapore has been successfully providing for the rights of its citizens at its High Commissions and Embassies overseas, and India has now started as well. If India, with a far larger electorate is able to implement such a programme, then there is no reason why Malaysia is unable to accommodate for the rights of her citizens. <\/p>\n
Press Statement By DAP Secretary-General And MP For Bagan Lim Guan Eng In Kuala Lumpur On 20 May 2011. <\/p>\n
—— Malay Translation ———— <\/p>\n
Kenyataan Akhbar oleh Setiausaha Agung DAP dan Ahli Parlimen Bagan, YAB Lim Guan Eng pada 20 Mei 2011 di Kuala Lumpur. <\/p>\n
DAP mendesak agar pemantauan dari parti politik dan Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) dibenarkan ketika proses pengundian pos atau pengundian awal bagi memastikan tiada sebarang penipuan dilakukan.<\/strong><\/p>\n Undi Pos untuk anggota tentera dan polis telah diberi penjenamaan semula dan dikenali sebagai pengundian awal dan hanya akan dikendalikan oleh pegawai Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) menjelang pilihan raya umum akan datang. Timbalan Pengerusi SPR Dato Wan Ahmad Wan Omar berkata pungutan pengundian awal (advanced voting) akan dikendalikan sepenuhnya oleh pegawai khas yang dilantik semula dan bukan lagi pegawai atasan di dalam kem askar mahupun ibu pejabat polis.<\/p>\n Sementara itu, penghapusan undi pos yang dikecualikan kepada kesemua anggota keselamatan yang bertugas di luar Negara dan di perbatasan adalah sangat- sangat dialukan berikutan wujud kebimbangan bahawa tiada perbezaan dalam mewujudkan pilihan raya yang bebas, adil dan berkecuali sekiranya parti politik masih tidak mempunyai hak untuk menjadi pemerhatian ketika proses pengundian dijalankan. DAP menegaskan bahawa pemantauan dari parti politik dan SPR harus dilaksanakan ketika proses pengundian dillakukan bagi memastikan tiada ada manipulasi mahupun penipuan berlaku.<\/p>\n Semua penguatkuasaan undang- undang Malaysia dan anggota angkatan bersenjata mengorbankan hidup mereka setiap hari bagi melindungi Negara dan mereka seharusnya mempunyai hak dan keistimewaan yang sama seperti orang lain. Oleh itu, proses pengundian undi seharusnya dilakukan dengan semudah mungkin. <\/p>\n Dalam amalan sekarang, undi pos dilaksanakan kepada hampir semua angkatan bersenjata termasuk polis sendiri. Pengiraan undi kemudiannya dilakukan secara berasingan di mana kertas undi dimasukkan dalam sampul dan dikempilkan bersama dengan borang yang bertandatangan dan butiran lain. Akibatnya, proses begini jelas tidak telus dan boleh menimbulkan kecurigaan kepada semua undian yang dilakukan samada identiti pengundi boleh dikesan, ini dianggap tidak mengikut perlembagaan. <\/p>\n Kertas cadangan baru untuk menghapuskan undi pos dilihat menjadi pengubat kepada permasalahan di atas. Walau bagaimanapun, persoalan besar ialah bagaimana perkara ini boleh dilakukan? Dari laporan media, pasukan bersenjata dan anggota polis akan membuang undi dua atau tiga hari awal di tempat pengundi sebelum tarikh sebenar pilihan raya. Jika ini benar, timbul pertanyaan adakah proses undi akan dikawal rapi seperti Ejen Tempat Undi(Polling Agent) dibenarkan dan sebagainya? <\/p>\n Akhir sekali, perkara lebih menarik untuk dilihat ialah adakah perubahan tersebut akan dilaksanakan dalam pilihan raya akan datang. Terpulang kepada Pengarah SPR untuk membuktikan sama ada perubahan tersebut ke arah positif dan akan memberi pelindungan untuk mengelakkan berlakunya penipuan termasuk memudahkan pihak- pihak tertentu melakukan penipuan selama proses undi pos atau pengundian awal.<\/p>\n DAP menyokong sepenuhnya proses pengundian yang lebih telus dan berharap SPR akan memastikan bahawa peraturan ini dipatuhi. Selain itu, jika kita dapat menyediakan peluang mengundi secara biasa kepada anggota bersenjata dan polis, kita juga harus memberi peluang yang sama kepada hampir 1 juta rakyat Malaysia yang menetap atau bekerja di luar Negara. Singapura telah berjaya memberikan hak- hak rakyat untuk mengundi di Suruhanjaya Tinggi dan Kedutaan Besar di luar Negara dan India juga telah melakukannya. Jika India yang mempunyai pengundi yang jauh lebih besar mampu melaksanakan program seperti ini, jadi tiada sebab mengapa Malaysia tidak mampu untuk mengembalikan hak mengundi kepada rakyatnya. <\/p>\n ———— Chinese Translation ————- <\/p>\n \u6c11\u4e3b\u884c\u52a8\u515a\u79d8\u4e66\u957f\u517c\u5cc7\u773c\u533a\u56fd\u4f1a\u8bae\u5458\u6797\u51a0\u82f1\u4e8e2011\u5e745\u670820\u65e5\u5728\u5409\u9686\u5761\u53d1\u8868\u58f0\u660e\uff1a<\/p>\n \u6c11\u4e3b\u884c\u52a8\u515a\u575a\u6301\u90ae\u5bc4\u9009\u7968\u6216\u9884\u5148\u6295\u7968\u8fdb\u884c\u65f6\uff0c\u653f\u515a\u4ee3\u8868\u4e0e\u9009\u59d4\u4f1a\u5fc5\u987b\u5728\u573a\u76d1\u7763\uff0c\u4ee5\u786e\u4fdd\u6295\u7968\u8fc7\u7a0b\u6ca1\u6709\u4f5c\u5f0a\u6210\u5206\u3002<\/p>\n \u519b\u4eba\u4e0e\u8b66\u5458\u7684\u90ae\u5bc4\u9009\u7968\u5df2\u7ecf\u91cd\u65b0\u88ab\u5b9a\u4e49\u4e3a\u201c\u9884\u5148\u6295\u7968\uff08Advance Voting\uff09\u201d\uff0c \u6765\u5c4a\u5927\u9009\uff0c\u5c06\u7531\u9009\u4e3e\u59d4\u5458\u4f1a\u5b98\u5458\u5168\u6743\u6267\u884c\u3002\u9009\u4e3e\u59d4\u5458\u4f1a\u526f\u4e3b\u5e2d\u62ff\u7763\u65fa\u963f\u672b\u8bf4\uff0c\u9884\u5148\u6295\u7968\u5c06\u7531\u7279\u522b\u59d4\u6d3e\u7684\u9009\u4e3e\u5b98\u6267\u884c\uff0c\u800c\u4e0d\u518d\u662f\u519b\u8425\u6216\u53bf\u5c5e\u8b66\u5c40\u7684\u9ad8\u7ea7\u5b98\u5458\u3002 <\/p>\n 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\u5168\u4f53\u9a6c\u6765\u897f\u4e9a\u7684\u6267\u6cd5\u4eba\u5458\u3001\u6b66\u88c5\u90e8\u961f\u613f\u610f\u727a\u7272\u81ea\u5df1\u7684\u751f\u547d\u4fdd\u5bb6\u536b\u56fd\uff0c\u4ed6\u4eec\u5e94\u8be5\u548c\u5176\u4ed6\u516c\u6c11\u4e00\u6837\uff0c\u4eab\u6709\u540c\u7b49\u7684\u6743\u5229\u548c\u5f85\u9047\u3002\u56e0\u6b64\uff0c\u6211\u4eec\u5fc5\u987b\u8ba9\u4ed6\u4eec\u53ef\u4ee5\u5bb9\u6613\u5730\u3001\u65b9\u4fbf\u5730\u6295\u7968\u3002 <\/p>\n 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\u8fd9\u9879\u5e9f\u9664\u90ae\u5bc4\u9009\u7968\u7684\u65b0\u63aa\u65bd\u770b\u6765\u662f\u8981\u89e3\u51b3\u4e0a\u8ff0\u95ee\u9898\u3002\u4f46\u662f\uff0c\u6700\u5927\u7684\u95ee\u9898\u662f\uff1a\u5f53\u5c40\u8981\u600e\u4e48\u505a\uff1f\u4ece\u5a92\u4f53\u7684\u62a5\u9053\u770b\u6765\uff0c\u519b\u8b66\u4eba\u5458\u5c06\u63d0\u65e9\u4e24\u3001\u4e09\u5929\u5230\u6295\u7968\u7ad9\u6295\u7968\u3002\u5982\u679c\u8fd9\u662f\u771f\u7684\uff0c\u6211\u4eec\u8981\u95ee\u6574\u4e2a\u7a0b\u5e8f\u662f\u5426\u9075\u4ece\u666e\u901a\u7684\u6295\u7968\u76d1\u7763\uff1f \u4f8b\u5982\uff0c\u5141\u8bb8\u76d1\u7968\u5458\u5728\u573a\u76d1\u7968\u7b49\u7b49\u3002 <\/p>\n 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EC deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said advance voting would be fully handled by specially designated assistant returning officers (ROs) instead of the personnel’s superior …<\/p>\n