Monday June 25, 2012

EC: Register as voters now

By RAZAK AHMAD
razak@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: There are only five days left to ensure you get to vote if the general election is held between August and November.

But only 1.5% voters have responded to the call by the Election Commission (EC) to update their details.

The EC has assured all who do so before the June 30 cut-off point that the registrations and amendments would be updated and enforced in August when the electoral roll for the second quarter of this year would be gazetted.

Those who miss the deadline will have to wait until November when the third quarter will be gazetted.

“Despite repeated calls to seize the opportunity, response has been poor,” said commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof.

Only about 200,000 or a mere 1.5% of the country's 12.9 million registered voters have checked or updated details such as addresses since the EC launched the one-month campaign.

In addition, 3,328,165 Malaysians or 20.5% of the 16,240,755 citizens aged 21 years and above have yet to register as voters.

“For Malaysians living abroad, a mere 600 students and civil servants working overseas had so far come forward to register as postal voters in the past four months,” said Abdul Aziz.

“We have been trying to pujuk' (cajole) unregistered voters by making it easier for them to register.

“Because there have been complaints by those who have already registered, we have also opened up our telephones, SMS and emails so that we can get their cooperation to correct any mistakes,” Abdul Aziz told The Star.

Selangor has the highest number of residents who have yet to register as voters, which stands at 589,328 or 23% of voting age residents in the state. Second is Johor, which has 462,377 (22.9%) while the third highest is Sarawak with 433,194 (29.2%).

Both the Barisan Nasional and Opposition say that there is little more that they can do to coax those who have yet to register, comprising mainly of those aged below 40.

“Government policies are still being made by the older generation but the younger generation will also bear the effects, and many among them are going to miss the opportunity to be heard,” said Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek.

PAS Youth Nasrudin Hassan said there was no use protesting and expressing dissatisfaction “out there” without taking part in the elections.

Voters can check or update their particulars on the EC's website (http://www.spr.gov.my) or call call 03-88856565.

Alternatively, they can SMS by typing “SPR [space] Mykad number” and sending it to 15888. Those who wish to register as new voters can do so at all EC offices or computerised post offices nationwide.

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Monday June 25, 2012

EC: Register as voters now

By RAZAK AHMAD razak@thestar.com.my

By RAZAK AHMAD
razak@thestar.com.my