‘EC using legal loophole to change roll’

PKR claims that EC is using legal means to move voters illegally into a different voting constituency.

PETALING JAYA: PKR today alleged that the Election Commission (EC) has new ways to manipulate the electoral roll.

This new method, they claimed, used the legal means of creating “divisions” (Belah Bahagi) to move voters illegally into a different voting constituency.

There are fears that these additions will be to the benefit of the Barisan Nasional as this practice was allegedly rampant in Pakatan Rakyat-held Selangor.

PKR vice president Fuziah Salleh revealed this at a press conference today when highlighting EC’s “illegal gerrymandering” in the Subang parliamentary constituency.

According to the Election’s Act 1958, divisions were conducted in order to make marginal changes concerning the voter’s state constituency.

The division method is usually used to consolidate dispersed voters into voting districts. One voting district must have a maximum of 3,850 people and one polling station.

However, according to the law, the movement of these voters must be made within the same state constituency.

Fuziah today highlighted several cases in the Subang constituency where the division method was used to shift voters from their state constituency to another constituency.

In one case highlighted, there were seven voters who were registered in the Kota Damansara state constituency in the 2008 electoral roll but were moved to Bukit Lanjan state constituency in the 2010 electoral roll.

“There are cases where the movements have caused some voters to shift to a new parliamentary constituency as well,” she said.

She highlighted a few cases where voters were registered under the Kelana Jaya parliamentary constituency in 2008 but were registered under the Subang parliamentary constituency in 2010 electoral roll.

“The EC is using legal provisions to do illegal things,” she said.

Furthermore, she added that the EC can only conduct divisions once the delineation exercise is announced.

Increase of voters in Subang

The EC has denied rumours of on-going delineation exercise adding that it will only take place after the 13th general election, expected to be held anytime soon.

Fuziah, who is also the Kuantan MP, said that this was merely the tip of the iceberg and PKR will reveal more in a series of exposes.

She also raised doubts over the dubious 35 percent rise of voters in the Subang constituency since 2007.

She said the additions were inexplicable as voters appeared “from nowhere” into the gazetted electoral roll.

“The number of voters (in Subang) as of the third quarter of 2011 was 110,614.

“When the list is made public, there is usually an objection period. So, rationally speaking, the 110,614 is the maximum voters (in Subang, after the third quarter),” she said.

But the gazetted electoral roll according to the third quarter, stated that (Subang constituency) contained 113,978 voters, 3,000 more than the previous list.

“Where did the extra 3,364 voters come from,” she asked.

She said that the division method could be used to explain this irregularity.

She added that all the information was gathered when the electoral roll was scanned thoroughly.

Fuziah said the matter will be brought up to the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) overseeing electoral reforms.

Also at the press conference today was Subang MP R Sivarasa, who said he will take EC’s alleged abuse of power to the MACC next week.