Nazri skirts issue of phantom voters

Minister in the Prime Miinister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz was evasive when a PKR MP brought up the allegation.

KUALA LUMPUR: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Nazri Abdul Aziz, today skirted the issue of phantom voters when the matter was brought up in the Dewan Rakyat.

He said that PKR’s deputy president, Azmin Ali, had never formally made a complaint about phantom voters.

Azmin (PKR-Gombak) raised the matter during a question and answer session.

In a supplementary question, he asked Nazri to explain the existence of phantom voters in his constituency, citing his mother’s house in Kampung Klang Gate, Gombak.

“My mother has been living alone in Kampung Klang Gate for the past 10 years, but 11 additional voters have been registered to her address (comprising six Malays and five Chinese),” Azmin claimed.

He also said that there were instances in Kampung Klang Gate where the electoral addresses of condominiums were given, when the locality was a traditional Malay village.

“There were some voters who were registered as staying in Block 22, Level 14, Unit 5 in the kampung. But in fact, Kampung Klang Gate is a traditional Malay Village without modern buildings,” he said.

“The Kampung Klang Gate locality has around 100 phantom voters. Gombak has 43 localities, which means it has about 4,300 phantom voters,” Azmin alleged.

Nazri took a stab at Azmin who has just returned to Parliament last Thursday after a six-month suspension.

“The 11 people (in your mother’s house) could be your own doing,” he said, adding that Azmin was very spirited in bringing up the matter after his six-month “holiday”.

However, he added in a more serious note: “We will try our best to look into the matter.”

But he added: “Until today the Election Commission (EC) has yet to receive a formal complaint on the matter.”

Nazri said that Azmin may have aired his grouses in coffeeshops or ceramahs but have yet to make a formal complaint to the EC.

“But now I will bring the matter up to the EC. (I will tell them) that the Gombak MP, who has just returned from his holiday, has raised the matter up in the house,” Nazri said sarcastically.

Earlier, Pulai MP, Nur Jazlan Mohamed, wanted to know how many immigrants were registered as voters using invalid identification cards.

Nazri said there were no such cases, but added that action will be taken against those found trying to register illegal voters.