EC always ensures electoral rolls clean

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KOTA KINABALU: The Election Commission (EC) always worked towards ensuring the electoral rolls are clean, said its former member, Datuk Haji Jamdin Buyong.

However, Jamdin said the EC could not simply remove names of the deceased as their information had to go through several channels before being certified by the National Registration Department (NRD) and ultimately the EC.

“We cannot deny the fact that there are human beings who pass on everyday but their names cannot be simply removed from the electoral rolls, even when the death happened right in front of the EC,” he said.

Jamdin said this in a press conference during his last visit to the Sabah election office upon his retirement here yesterday. He had served as a member of the EC from October 2002 to September 4.

He cited that there was also the possibility that a new person who had just registered as a voter but died several months after. That person would still be a voter.

“This situation could happen if the family of the deceased did not inform NRD of the death immediately.

“Similarly, there are voters who have passed away years ago but the EC cannot remove his or her name from the electoral roll as long as NRD did not confirm the death.”

Hence, Jamdin urged family members to report any deaths within the family as soon as possible to NRD to prevent this from happening.

In addition, he called on new and old voters to check if their names are still registered in the electoral roll as well as their own state and parliamentary constituencies.

Any mistakes should be reported to any of the EC offices as soon as possible.

He added there were several rules that would be implemented in the 13th general election, including using permanent ink on voting day, objection period on nomination day and withdrawal period for nomination.

Jamdin also said any proposals to improve the election process which could not be implemented in the 13th general election would be studied by the EC in the next general election, adding that some of the proposals needed constitutional and law amendments.

“I believe all changes that will be enforced in the 13th general election will smoothen the election process.”