Retiree cries foul after early polling station closure leaves family unable to vote

 

JOHOR POLLS | A retiree has alleged that he and his elderly parents were denied their right to vote after a polling station in the Bukit Pasir state constituency closed earlier than expected.

The complainant, Subramaniam Periasamy, 67, said he arrived at the SJK (T) Ladang Nordanal polling centre at 2.25pm with his parents, aged 94 and 88, only to be stopped from entering.

According to him, Election Commission (EC) officers informed them that polling had officially ended at 2pm.

"As voters, we were not informed of the change in polling hours.

"Since I became a voter at this polling station, as far as I know, voting has always been from 8am to 5pm," he told Malaysiakini.

Refusing to leave, Subramaniam said he remained outside the gate to seek an explanation from the senior EC officer overseeing the polling station.

"An EC officer only arrived at about 4pm to discuss the situation.

"The officer said the change in polling hours had been announced earlier through an official notice in the polling area," he said.

Traffic snarl

However, Subramaniam disputed the explanation, claiming there was no notice displayed outside the gate or at the main entrance informing voters that polling would end earlier.

"He (the officer) said the notice about the change in polling hours was posted inside, but as a voter, I couldn't see it from outside," he said.

Subramaniam said heavy rain and severe traffic congestion delayed their journey from Bukit Pasir, while his elderly parents had travelled from Muar.

He also criticised the election authorities for what he described as a lack of discretion and compassion, especially given the bad weather and the presence of two elderly voters.

Subramaniam has since lodged a police report at the Grisek police station in Tangkak, urging the authorities to investigate the incident.

The SJK (T) Ladang Nordanal polling district has 144 registered voters.

In another incident, Rahmat Shukor, 57, was unable to cast his vote after driving 120km, because he arrived at the polling centre a minute late.

Rahmat, who is self-employed, was delayed because of severe traffic congestion while travelling from Batu Pahat to Johor Bahru.

“I came all the way from Batu Pahat, not from here. The roads were congested. I have photos, I informed them, and I have proof that we were caught in the traffic jam,” he told Bernama. - Mkini