Polls panel to remove inactive voters above 90
By Farrah Naz Karim, NST
PUTRAJAYA: Those above 90 years of age and are considered to be “inactive” will be struck off the electoral roll.
Under this approach of cleaning up the roll, which is updated every three months, the Election Commission has removed some 12,000 names to date.
EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Yusof said the National Registration Department would be the one to assess if the individuals under the category should be rendered as such.
He said the NRD would, among others, study their transactions and movements as well as correspondence before classifying them as inactive.
However, he said in cases where those struck off the list reappeared, the EC would re-upload their names on the roll.
The commission’s database, which mirrors that of the NRD, does not allow removal of names unless it was done by the department, which could only do so when families of the deceased come forward to report the death.
However, under the EC’s own initiative, names of those above the age of 120 are automatically removed.
The EC is also in the midst of removing 469 names that were found to be duplicated in the latest roll.
On allegations that the commission had been adding permanent residents in the electoral role, he said the opposition, especially Pas had been referring to an out-of-date database and the NRD’s website.
“The individuals who they are accusing us of upgrading to become citizens just to be put in the electoral roll are qualified citizens. Many of them had been permanent residents for over 20 years and were finally granted citizenship,” he told the media before the breaking of fast at the EC headquarters.
Aziz said the commission would meet up with the NRD soon to iron out any hiccups.
On preparations for the general election, he said a committee to look into all aspects of the polls had been set up.
Aziz also said returning officers for the various constituencies had also been identified.
“We are in the midst of ascertaining the needs of each of the areas.
“There are logistics, personnel and budget issues that we are looking at,” he said, adding that the EC would be ready if a general election was called, even in the very near future.
