Klang residents shocked to find names registered as Kamunting voters

Among them is a 25-year-old who said he has never signed up as a voter.

VIDEO INSIDE

Klang MP Charles Santiago (centre) with residents who say they now have to travel 300km to vote in Kamunting on May 9.

KLANG: Several voters in Klang, Selangor, are shocked to find their names listed as voters in Kamunting, Perak — some 300km away from where they live.

Cheong Chee Woh and his wife Loo Sook Whai, both 68, are upset that they would not be able to cast their ballots on May 9.

“We won’t be making the trip to Kamunting. We’re very disappointed that we can’t vote,” said Loo, who has been voting without fail in the last five general elections.

At a press conference today, DAP’s Charles Santiago also highlighted the plight of eight others, including one who has never registered as a voter.

Kamunting is a state seat under the Taiping parliamentary constituency. The incumbent is BN’s Mohammad Zahir Abdul Khalid, who defeated PAS’ Mohamad Fakhrudin Abdul Aziz in the last general election.

Banker T Sargunan said he had registered as a voter last year using his identity card which had his Klang address.

He said he had replaced his MyKad after losing it.

“Even though the address in my MyKad shows Klang, I discovered that according to the microchip, I live in some place called Medan Saujana in Kamunting. I have never been to Kamunting. Suddenly I’m a voter there.”

Eugene Oliver, 25, is shocked to find himself a voter in Kamunting as he had never registered to be one before.

“Something just isn’t right. How can someone who never registered to be a voter suddenly become one?” asked Santiago.

He said a similar complaint was received from a Malaysian student in Russia, who said he never registered as a voter.

Santiago said under the Election Act, the gazetted electoral roll cannot be amended until the next roll is released.

“I’m not asking the EC to make changes. I just want them to show me proof that those affected asked to be transferred or registered as voters in Kamunting,” he said.

Santiago said if EC could not furnish proof of transfer requests and registration, he would take the commission to court.

FMT’s attempts to reach EC chairman Mohd Hashim Abdullah were unsuccessful.-FMT