Stop phantom voters claim
LAHAD DATU: The Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) yesterday denied allegations that it brought phantom voters, including Armed Forces and police personnel from Sabah and Sarawak to Peninsular Malaysia.
MAF chief General Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin yesterday described the allegations as a figment of the opposition’s imagination to smear the image of the security forces.
He told the opposition to stop such defamatory act as it was solely to garner support in the 13th general election (GE13).
“The wild accusation by certain parties, including allegation that the MAF is influenced by political parties, has tarnished the image of MAF. Stop the unhealthy political attack and never link the MAF as it could have negative effects on the country and the people,” he told reporters here.
Zulkifeli was commenting on PKR Central Council member Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim’s allegation that MAF attempted to bring in phantom voters, including armed forces and police personnel from Sabah and Sarawak to Peninsular Malaysia.
Khalid reportedly alleged at a recent media conference that based on the opposition coalition’s intelligence, there were special flights from Sabah and Sarawak which landed in specific locations and not at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport or the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal with phantom voters.
Zulkifeli regretted such allegations as the MAF was a neutral institution which is not linked to any political party in the country.
“As a professional body, we are carrying out our responsibility to protect the security and sovereignty of the country from any elements out to disrupt public order.
“On these duties and responsibilities, some of our men lost their lives,” he said.
The Election Commission (EC) also dismissed the possibility of “phantom voters” being flown across the South China Sea in a covert operation by certain political parties to cast their ballots in advance polls carried out yesterday for the 13th general election.
“Huh? How can? I don’t believe it at all, that one could book flights and fly Sabahans or Sarawakians, or [Peninsular] Malaysians to Sabah and Sarawak,” EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said.
“You cannot just simply bring people by car, or by bus, or by plane just like that, unless they go for a holiday. I don’t know.”
The head of the election regulatory body suggested that the voters alleged to be untraceable may have been those who had changed their voting addresses as they had shifted homes, which he pointed out was perfectly legal.
He said the process took time as the EC would publicly display the voter lists and allowed a two-week window for objections to be raised before gazetting the changes.
Khalid, who is also caretaker Selangor mentri besar, had raised doubt on 130,000 names that had appeared on the state’s electoral roll, saying his state administration remained unable to trace the registered voters through its democratisation project.