Penang voters increase by 32,000 in three months


Susan Loone | Aug 4, 11 4:18pm
Malaysiakini

Following the allegations that over 1,500 permanent residents were allowed to be registered in the latest supplementary electoral roll, Penang Pakatan Rakyat today claimed that the state saw a sudden surge of 32,000 voters in just three months.

A staggering 1,400 postal votes were inserted into Batu Maung state constituency, currently held by state exco member Abdul Malik Kassim from PKR.

Between 2008 to 2010, the Malay-majority seat only saw an increase of 2,200 voters.

The influx of voters was revealed today during a press conference called by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, attended by Abdul Malik and Deputy Chief Minister Mansor Othman.

In the past, said Lim, there would usually be increases of about 10,000 new voters, but the triple jump in figures was “suspicious” and raised concerns “that there may be fraud”.

“(The) general election is approaching. If the increase in voters is about 200-400, it is acceptable, but now there is an increase of three times (the amount). How to win?” he queried.

Ghosts hungry for votes

Lim said the hike in voter figures happened in three months, and recounted recent allegations surrounding ‘Mismah’ and more than 1,500 permanent residents were registered as voters.

“In this world, we have instant noodles, but in Malaysia, we have instant voters,” Lim joked.

“This month is the hungry ghost month for the Chinese, but what we are more afraid of is phantom voters,” he added.

Lim condemned the Election Commission for its reluctance to investigate the cases or take action.

Such tactics could probably be in line with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s (right) call for BN to do whatever it takes to win the coming election.
Lim further criticised the EC for providing the Pakatan Rakyat with the electoral roll (in a compact disc) a day before the deadline to the protest period.

Despite this, he said, the component party will continue to write to the EC to oppose the unusual findings.

He expressed disappointment that the CD was provided late to Pakatan parties, as this prevented them from being able to screen the details thoroughly.

“The EC seem to want to hide something, they do not want us to reveal more malpractices…that is why they are so afraid of Bersih.”

Phantom voters

He added the BN tried to use undemocratic methods to win the elections, and mobilise phantom voters to deny the rights of genuine voters.

At the same press conference, Malik said that the additional postal votes were inserted into his state constituency in the past three months.

He added that he was only able to detect them a day before the deadline to protest the EC’s electoral roll.

There are only two military camps in Batu Maung – Sungai Ara and Bukit Gedong.

“There are indeed quarters in Sungai Ara but in Bukit Gedung, there is only an administrative centre, and two or three bungalows for general level officers,” said Abdul Malik, who is a Penang exco member.

“But now, 1,400 soldiers and their families are using the address, this is a place where no one is living, then suddenly, there is a drastic increase,” he added.

Mansor, who is Penanti assemblyperson, said he had found several “suspicious identities” in his constituency, and would be revealing more details soon.

  1. #1 by asia on Friday, 5 August 2011 - 8:05 pm

    Expose more foreigners granted citizenship to vote for BN

    Malaysians be annoyed and sentence them treason, the betrayal of a trust or confidence

    Malaysians should be avoided the mistake of SABAH

  2. #2 by yhsiew on Friday, 5 August 2011 - 8:16 pm

    I am not surprised if there is a Bersih 3.0 coming up in the near future!

  3. #3 by dagen on Friday, 5 August 2011 - 9:42 pm

    The justification for bersih 1.0 and now 2.0 is looking clearer and clearer by the day. The reason for umno’s insistence on an unfair election process is also showing up clearly by the day.

  4. #4 by PoliticoKat on Friday, 5 August 2011 - 9:48 pm

    Elections are coming soon.

    lets welcome our Phantom voters.

    I predict a landslide victory for BN. Pakatan has not a snow ball chance to win.

    I won’t be surprise if there are more phantom voters than there are malaysians.

  5. #5 by seah_thomas on Friday, 5 August 2011 - 10:15 pm

    This is indeed a shocking turn of events
    They are not only hitting below the belt but @ the B@lls
    Cant go any dirtier in terms of cheating
    ie Cheating the Rakyat !!!
    What a shame

  6. #6 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Friday, 5 August 2011 - 10:22 pm

    Surely Malaysians cannot stand idly by and watch thugs and thieves from BN cheat, pad and manipulate the electoral votes to win!

  7. #7 by sheriff singh on Friday, 5 August 2011 - 10:38 pm

    The civil servants and ex-civil servants are just doing their jobs.

  8. #8 by sheriff singh on Friday, 5 August 2011 - 10:54 pm

    Who audits or oversee the Elections Commission?

  9. #9 by k1980 on Saturday, 6 August 2011 - 6:57 am

    //Who audits or oversee the Elections Commission?//

    I believe it’s Jibb Singh and Losima Kaur

  10. #10 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 6 August 2011 - 7:53 am

    Losing power is not an option; because of what is at stake, everything else is.

  11. #11 by raven77 on Saturday, 6 August 2011 - 9:10 am

    The strategy appears to be clear here…

    Like how Mahathir flooded Sabah with Filipinos and Indons and lost the state from the Kadazans and Bajaus….the BN is planning the same tactic in the peninsular…

    They are flooding the peninsular with Indons and God knows who else in a desperate attempt to cling to power…

    This is worse then war…and the enemy this time is the BN government itself…at least in war we fight intruders with tanks and bullets…

    How do we now fight the BN who are invading our homeland with MyKads….

    Ironically ICs were first issued to save Malayans from the communist theat….it is now being used to wipe out Malayans….

    The BN is more dangerous then communists…..

    Bersih 3.0 and more….

  12. #12 by PRmaju on Saturday, 6 August 2011 - 10:03 am

    If EC don’t act on those complaint,we have no choice but Bershih 3 and 4.

  13. #13 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 6 August 2011 - 10:49 am

    PAS Selangor division lodged a police report claiming that more than 1,000 foreigners with PR status have been made citizens. It accuses NRD & EC of colluding. So what – you think police will act? One goes to courts but does one expect something will come out of it? One urges another protest by Bersih but Bersih is outlawed! So what else can be done? Like I earlier said, losing power via the ballot box is not an option – whatever else happens. It is snaguine to say get rid of the tenant in Putrajaya. It is not a tenant. It is the landlord in perpetuity. Those who don’t like the state of affairs, which will not be allowed to change whatever the cost, are the tenants and if they don’t like it they are told to look for a place to rent elsewhere. That’s the bottomline.

  14. #14 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 6 August 2011 - 10:50 am

    oops – “sanguine”

  15. #15 by monsterball on Saturday, 6 August 2011 - 2:19 pm

    Lets not rush to wrong conclusions.
    That 32000 maybe… new voters half….phantom voters half.
    Anyway…this was revealed by Lim Guan Eng that needs him to back up his claims with facts and not stuff his findings into the throats of Malaysians.
    Is LGE creating rumors?
    I hope not.

  16. #16 by monsterball on Saturday, 6 August 2011 - 2:22 pm

    If Penang alone have 32000 phantom voters…there must be few millions throughout the whole country.
    Supporting a change of government does not mean we must support everything they say or do.

  17. #17 by monsterball on Saturday, 6 August 2011 - 2:31 pm

    Maybe the reporter…Susan Loone reported wrongly???

  18. #18 by monsterball on Saturday, 6 August 2011 - 2:50 pm

    You know journalists like Rockybru love to instigate and expert in tongue twisting technique..and Susan Loone maybe desperate to put out sensational news to earn a living.
    Who knows!!

  19. #19 by tak tahan on Saturday, 6 August 2011 - 10:52 pm

    Hahaha..i think e pun bek tahan liau…ai kin kin chut mia liau.

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