Dear YB Lim,
This is in view of the last Sarawak state election. I was in Miri for a week on work then. I think Malaysia should rethink the way voting in the rural interior are carried out.
1.As I understand helicopters are used to carry the ballot boxes from the interior to the counting centres. These boxes, as I was told are carried from the voting stations by heli for counting at a central area. But I also hear that they are also relayed to a point and front there to another transfer by heli later.
The question is, how safe are these ballot boxes at the transit area NOT to be manupulated with. And are these boxes accompanied by the reps of the political parties? As I also hear they reckon that there were more opposition votes from the rural folks, this time.
2. As regards to postal votes for Security personnel, this should be discontinued, OR have the votes counted there and then and the results verified before they are recorded and announced later at the central counting area.
During election many security personnel can be ‘conveniently’ posted out or assigned duty out of their registered constituency to require them to vote by post. This has been thought to be not ideal.
Now with more tha 2 million RELA members, thier votes would ‘very conveniently’ be considered postal votes. There will certainly be more room for manupulation. Such votes should be cast much earlier and counted immediately after that and the results confirmed by all reps instead of the long gap before counting, where there is a opportunity for manipulation.