KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 – The Election Commission (EC) has a store in Sungai Chua, Kajang, to keep its goods, its chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said today, denying claims of “dubious” diversions for ballot boxes.
Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim showed photographic proof today that an EC vehicle carrying ballot boxes stamped with the commission logo had made a suspicious diversion to Jalan SC 2 in the Sungai Chua Industrial Park in Kajang en route to its Putrajaya
headquarters on April 8.
“Yes Sungai Chua has an EC store,” Abdul Aziz said when contacted by The Malaysian Insider for comment.
“What is wrong with seeing ballot boxes that has the EC logo in a vehicle? I don’t know why Anwar is questioning this? Now, the transport logistics for the general election has started. Not just in Sungai Chua, but also in Perak, Kedah and the whole country,” he said, laughing.
EC deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said the commission had started to move its equipment for Election 2013 as advance voting would take place on April 30, ahead of polling day on May 5.
“YB Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim doesn’t have to worry. Normally ballot boxes are seen in vehicles with the EC logo. But if you see any other vehicles transporting ballot boxes, then tell me, I also want to investigate,” Wan Ahmad told The Malaysian Insider.
Abdul Aziz also denied Anwar’s allegation that the electoral roll contains 28,593 voters that are made up of foreigners from Indonesia, the Philippines, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
“How can? If you’re not a citizen you cannot be a voter. Automatically the system will reject,” he said.
He said, however, that if there are foreign citizens who have lived in Malaysia for a very long time and given citizenship, then they are eligible to be a voter after they get their blue identity cards.
“The EC won’t ask how they got their citizenship. The EC will only check with the National Registration Department (NRD). If everything is OK, then EC will register. If not, then EC will reject,” he added.
Regarding DAP national chairman Karpal Singh’s ceramah that was halted by EC officers in Bukit Gelugor, Penang last night, Wan Ahmad said there are Election Campaign Enforcement Team (PPKPR) in every area consisting of a EC officer, a police officer, a local council member and a representative for every candidate.
“They have the power to stop a ceramah without a permit. Besides that, if the person giving the speech is very harsh, PPKPR can ask him to tone down his meaning, which are offences in the Election Offences Act,” he said.
Some 13.3 million voters including 5,200 overseas voters are eligible to cast their ballots in the upcoming general election to choose their 222 federal and 505 state representatives in 12 states. Sarawak has had its state elections in 2011.
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