EC failed East Malaysians, says ex-MP as air fares surge

 

The Election Commission has fixed Nov 19 as polling day.

PETALING JAYA: A DAP leader has accused the Election Commission (EC) of failing East Malaysians after prices for flights to Borneo surged following the announcement of polling day for the 15th general election (GE15).

Former Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii said Sabahans and Sarawakians in the peninsula would not have to fork out so much money to go back and vote if the EC had allowed East Malaysians to vote in the peninsula.

“The EC has failed us Sarawakians and Sabahans when they failed to innovate to allow either absentee voting (voting at polling stations in West Malaysia) or postal voting.

“This can amount to voter suppression. The right to vote cannot be reserved for the rich or those who can afford to fly back,” he said in a series of Twitter posts

Earlier, netizens lamented having to travel back to their hometowns to vote in GE15, citing expensive flight tickets after it was announced that polling day was set for Nov 19.

They had also taken to social media to urge various airlines and the transport ministry to reduce their prices.

Meanwhile, Sabah DAP secretary Phoong Jin Zhe welcomed the Nov 19 polling day, saying holding the election on a Saturday allowed more people to vote since they would not have to take a day off to cast their ballots.

“This means that those who work outside of their hometowns can return on Friday, vote on Saturday, and go back on Sunday. This is a good date, and I believe it is acceptable to everyone,” he said.

Phoong also urged airlines to consider lowering their flight ticket prices to encourage Malaysians to return home and vote.

PKR deputy information chief Razeef Rakimin also welcomed the Nov 19 polling day, saying it gave all political parties sufficient time to prepare for the nationwide polls.

However, he expressed concern over the possibility of floods during the polls.

Meanwhile, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) treasurer Ardino Diris urged Sabahans staying in Sarawak and the peninsula to return home and vote.

In a rare show of solidarity, Diris also backed Warisan president Shafie Apdal’s call for Sabahans and Sarawakians in the peninsula to be allowed to vote via post.

“However, these postal votes must be conducted in accordance with the law and, most importantly, they must be transparent, with no risk of fraud being committed by unscrupulous individuals,” he said.

Meanwhile, Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman encouraged Malaysians to go out and vote, expressing hope for an election with healthy competition. - FMT