Why wasn’t Johor polling day delayed if preparation was the issue, Muda asks EC

 Party vice-president Leben Siddarth says separate elections increase costs and logistical burden, and raise concerns over fairness and public confidence in the process.

EC chairman Ramlan Harun cited logical constraints and lack of operational readiness as the reasons for separate Johor and Negeri Sembilan polling dates.

PETALING JAYA:

Muda has questioned why the Election Commission did not adjust Johor’s polling schedule to allow voting on the same day as in Negeri Sembilan.

Muda vice-president Leben Siddarth said the EC had reportedly cited the need for additional preparation time in Negeri Sembilan as the reason for voting in the state to be held later.

“Surely synchronising both elections would have been the more efficient and sensible approach,” he said in a statement.

“Instead, Malaysians are now faced with two separate polling exercises, two separate deployments of election machinery, and two separate rounds of expenditure borne by taxpayers.”

The EC today announced that Johor voters will head to the polls on July 11 and Negeri Sembilan on Aug 1, following the dissolution of both state assemblies earlier this month.

Its chairman, Ramlan Harun, reportedly cited logical constraints and lack of operational readiness as the reasons for the state elections to be held on separate dates.

He said Negeri Sembilan’s sudden dissolution of the assembly left the EC insufficient time for the necessary groundwork to be completed.

The Johor election would cost an estimated RM86.8 million, and the Negeri Sembilan election RM80.6 million.

Beyond logistics, Leben said the staggered dates raised concerns about political fairness, arguing that results from the earlier Johor election would inevitably shape political narratives, media coverage, and voter sentiment heading into the Negeri Sembilan campaign.

“This is why many are questioning whether the decision to separate the polling dates was purely administrative or whether political considerations were taken into account,” he said.

He said Muda was not questioning the EC’s independence, but an independent institution should welcome scrutiny and be prepared to explain major decisions that affected public confidence in the electoral process.

“The integrity of our electoral process depends not only on fair elections, but also on public confidence that electoral decisions are made transparently, consistently, and without favour to any political interest,” he said. - FMT