Press Statement (Batang Ai)
MAFREL NOT ALLOWED TO ESCORT BALLOT BOX TOGETHER WITH SPR OFFICIALS FROM POLLING CENTRE TO COUNTING CENTRE
We have written letter of protest to the Returning Officer N29 Batang Ai and SPR director and seeking permission to follow the ballot box from the polling centre to the counting centre but was told by the returning officer for Batang Ai, Mr. Nelson Mujah that we have to seek permission from SPR headquaters in Putrajaya. When ask about any contesting party, will be escorting the ballot box together with official, he said no, only SPR officials will be doing the transporting of the ballot box. Mafrel and political parties agents can only follow separately with their own transportations.
When asked for the reasons why SPR choose to shift the ballot boxes from voting stations for them to be counted at the ‘dewan pengiraan’ (counting centre) and when did they change this policy of not counting the votes at the polling station, as is done in the rest of the country. According to the Retaining Officer, he said,” This has been done in the past elections where the ballot boxes are transferred to the counting centre in Lubok Antu. Mafrel observers are also denied to witness the important counting process.
