By Shannon Teoh | May 20, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 — DAP said today that political parties should also be allowed to monitor the new advance voting process for the police and military to ensure that there is no cheating.

Secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said that while it welcomed the abolishment of postal votes, there would be “no difference in ensuring a free, fair, neutral and independent election if political parties still do not have full access during the voting process.”

The Election Commission (EC) said earlier this week that advance voting would be conducted by commission officers without the presence of the police of military personnel’s superiors as practised in postal voting.

However, it said personnel posted at borders and remote operational areas, as well as diplomats serving in overseas missions, will continue to use postal votes.

Today, Bagan MP Lim said monitors from political parties and the EC must be present during the advance voting process to ensure there is no manipulation or cheating.

The Penang chief minister added that “postal voting is virtually conducted by the armed forces or police themselves.”

He said while the ballots are sealed in an envelope, they are accompanied by a form carrying the signature of the witness and other details.

“As a result, this obvious lack of transparency has given rise to suspicions that votes can be traced to the voter, which is unconstitutional,” he said in a statement today.

Opposition parties have long accused Barisan Nasional (BN) of abusing the postal voting system by coercing security personnel to vote for the ruling coalition.

The EC said that the new advance voting process would make votes by police and military personnel more transparent.