Malaysians overseas will be allowed to vote
Pakatan Rakyat MPs were also promised by the Election Commission that Rela officers would remain as normal voters.
G Vinod, FMT
The Election Commission (EC) today promised to get the Parliament to gazette regulations to allow Malaysians overseas to vote in the next general election.
DAP MP Anthony Loke said this at a press conference held at the Parliament lobby today. Also present were PKR MPs Fuziah Salleh and Nurul Izzah Anwar.
This was revealed to the parliamentarians by the EC is a meeting held at the Parliament secretariat room. The meeting was chaired by EC chairman Abdul Aziz Yusof and his deputy Wan Ahmad Wan Omar.
The nearly three hours meeting was attended by about 50 MPs from both sides of the political divide.
Loke, who is Rasah MP, said he was glad by the assurance given by the EC. However, he also reminded the electoral body that they had only two weeks to gazette the required regulations.
“I told them that they only have two weeks. The next parliamentary session will be held only after the 13th general election,” he said.
Loke added that Abdul Aziz also promised that military and police officers would be called for advanced voting, instead of being postal voters, for the general election except for those serving overseas and at the borders.
“He also assured that Rela officers will not be postal voters and categorised as normal voters,” he said.
On related matter, Fuziah said that Pakatan leaders were concerned over some reports that Rela officers may be turned into postal voters and Abdul Aziz’s assurance was timely.
The Kuantan MP said that a parliamentary constituency would have between 8,000 and 10,000 Rela members, which could affect an area’s electoral results.
