A MyKad reader and a fingerprint scanner that can be used to verify a person’s details.
KOTA KINABALU: The announcement by the Election Commission (EC) to continue using indelible ink for the Kuala Besut by-election by using an “improved version” and by dipping the left hand index finger into the ink is not seen as an improvement as far as a measure to avoid and stop instances of double voting.
Luyang assemblyman Hiew King Cheu, in a statement issued here yesterday, said the measure put forward by the EC may not be able to stop ‘foul play’ and cheating in the by-election, unless it (EC) is serious about it by installing a better system to overcome these shortcomings.
The application of the ink, which is supposed to be indelible, turned out to be washable and had caused many a spoiled votes during the last election due to the ink being ‘imprinted and transferred’ onto the ballot papers, he said.
Hiew said the procedure of dipping the finger into the ink will not help because it will further sully the ballot paper when one is not careful.
He suggested it may be advisable to apply the ink after a person has marked and cast the ballot paper. That is, when the voter enters the room, have his/her name checked, gets a ballot paper, mark and cast his/her vote, then on the way out he/she gets the left index finger dipped into the ink.
“This will ensure that the ballot paper will not get dirtied/sullied, reduce the risk of getting spoiled votes and stop frequent requests to replace dirty ballot paper,” he said.
“A case happened during the last general election when a friend went to vote and found that his vote had been used by someone else. He showed his fingers which had no signs of any ink, but the returning officer (RO) insisted that he had voted already and that he must have washed the indelible ink off his finger. This friend was shocked and he asked: “Is it not true that the ink is indelible?”
“Many people had tried and were successful in removing the ink by washing and rubbing it off. Therefore, this measure does not serve any purpose and would not be able to stop people from voting many times under different names and identities. Even a waterproof marker pen can do the job better,” he said.
Hiew would recommend that the EC use MyKad readers and, if possible, a fingerprint scanner, that can be easily obtained in the market, to check on any fake MyKad and to obtain the data from the computer chip attached to the card. This is a fastest way of cross-checking the identity of the voters.
“Political parties do not have such card-readers to check on suspicious voters, if this is agreeable to the EC,” Hiew said.
Hiew added that these card-readers are very cheap and easily available.
“We want a clean and fair election under all circumstances and to eliminate instances of foul play and unjust election results,” he said.