EC studying proposal for domestic postal voting across regions

 Deputy law and institutional reform minister M Kulasegaran says the study requires engagement with all stakeholders, including political parties, before any final decision can be made.

Deputy law and institutional reform minister M Kulasegaran said the study on the proposed domestic postal voting is expected to be completed in 2027. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR:

The Election Commission (EC) is conducting a detailed study on the proposed implementation of domestic postal voting across Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak.

Deputy law and institutional reform minister M Kulasegaran said the study requires engagement with all stakeholders, including political parties, before any final decision can be made.

“The study is expected to be completed next year,” he said in response to Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis (Warisan-Kota Belud), who spoke about the urgent need to transform electoral processes and introduce postal voting rights across the different regions, during the Dewan Rakyat special chamber session today.

In another development, Kulasegaran said the government was open to reviewing the EC’s position to place it under the purview of Parliament instead of the Prime Minister’s Department.

“I think that is a good suggestion that should be taken into consideration. The matter will be brought to the attention of the relevant parties so that a decision can be made soon,” he said.

On claims that enforcement of the ban on mobile phone use at polling streams was still lax, he said the EC believed that the existing control mechanisms were sufficient and there were no plans to amend the procedure or introduce it as a specific offence under the Election Offences Act 1954. - FMT