SIBU: Sibu Election Watchers (SEW) on Tuesday released its final 100-page report on their observations on the Sibu by-election last year.
At a press conference here, its team leader Wong Meng Chuo said they observed that the by-election on May 16 last year revealed a significant change in campaigning style and voting trend, very similar to the style in West Malaysia.
The report recommended that automatic voter registration be considered to enable those in the rural areas and anyone eligible to exercise their democratic rights.
It pointed out that Election Commission (EC) should be transparent in its process of moving voters from one polling centre to another to eliminate suspicions of political interference, and polling staff must not be made of local voters or party workers but those from nearby constituencies to prevent bias.
The report also said EC should organise voter education programmes to improve voter turnout
During nomination period, it recommended that candidates’ papers be displayed outside restricted zone of nomination centres for the public to view, and nomination period should be extended to one week to avoid the tense atmosphere at nomination centres when party supporters from opposing sides converge in congested spaces.
It also said there should be no giving away of financial allocations, announcement of new projects or awarding of contracts during campaigns or the period after a seat is declared vacant.
The report also said Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) should pro-actively investigate vote buying complaints and prosecute those involved as they were found to be rampant in the Sibu and previous by-elections.
The use of local, state or federal government facilities, buildings, civil servants, vehicles and programmes for campaigning purposes should be considered abuse of government machinery, it said further.
To be fair to all contesting parties, Tuai rumah (village headmen) should give equal access to all parties so as not to deny longhouse folk of balanced information, it added.
It also said voter identification should be improved, for example by using indelible ink, to address persistent complaints that some voters found their votes had been cast by someone else.
It also said announcement of election results should be prompt – as a delay by two hours undermines credibility of election administration – and essential information, voting rate, should be correctly and regularly publicized.
It also requested that EC clarify the last minute adjustment of voting rate by 10 per cent during the by-election.
On postal votes, the report said EC should conduct postal voting in ways that, as much as possible, do not deviate from standard polling procedures and their safeguards.
For this, postal voters, it pointed out, should not be allowed to bring voting papers out of the polling stations to prevent them from selling their votes, which is an illegal practice and that the votes should be counted on the spot.
The report also said EC should allow those unable to come home to vote to cast their votes by post or set up polling stations in big cities, like Kuala Lumpur, Johor Baru, Penang and Kuching for them.
“This will help address the persistent problem of low voter turnout in Sibu and other parts of Sarawak,” he said.
It also recommended that all bona fide election observer groups – both local and international – be accredited to enable them enter polling stations without restrictions which could hamper their job.
Also present at the press conference was coordinator of the Malaysian Election Observers Network (MEO-Net) Ong Boon Keong.
SEW is a local citizen initiative, a non-partisan and independent election group, formed during the Sibu by-election in May last year to promote free and fair elections.
SEW has members from various ethnic groups like the Chinese and Dayak, which reflect the community make-up around Sibu.
They come from various walks of life, ranging from academicians, NGO activists, music teacher, journalists, to small traders, farmers and labourers.
SEW is a self-funded community group, which collaborates with numerous other local community groups.