Party agent can monitor postal voting at Malaysian embassies

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SHAH ALAM: All political parties will be allowed to appoint representatives or agents to monitor the handing over of ballot papers by postal voters abroad for the coming 13th general election, Election Commission (EC) deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said yesterday.

He said political parties intending to do so were required to send the  names of their representatives or agents to the EC which would then send the list to the Malaysian embassies abroad.

“The process of handing over the ballot papers which is done at the handing over centres at the Malaysian embassies abroad can be monitored by appointed observers.

“Only bearers of names which have been registered are allowed to observe the process.

“They will be issued with a pass that will have their name and the party they represent,” he told reporters after a briefing for local observers in the coming 13th general election here.

Wan Ahmad said each political party would be allowed to appoint at least 10 representatives who should be Malaysians aged 21 and above.

“Only one representative can monitor the process at one time because the space where the process is going to be held is limited.

“They can take turn because the process is going to take a long time,” he added.

He said the decision to allow political parties to appoint representatives to monitor the process was made because it would be the first time that Malaysian registered voters residing overseas would be allowed to vote through post.

The EC, in an effort to improve its services, had also appointed non-governmental organisations  (NGO) to be observers in the coming general election, he added.

He said the EC had appointed five NGOs, namely, the Merdeka Centre, Institute For Democracy and Economic Affairs, Malaysia Youth Council, Malaysian Confederation of the Disabled and the Centre For Public Policy Study.

This way, it could give a message to the people that the election process in the country is transparent and according to the law, he added. — Bernama