Published: Wednesday February 13, 2013 MYT 5:29:00 PM

DAP welcomes use of pens to mark ballot papers

By SIRA HABIBU

PETALING JAYA: The DAP welcomes the use of ballpoints pens to mark ballot papers but is against the "no objection" rule on nomination day.

DAP chairman Karpal Singh said the use of a pen would guarantee non-tampering of votes to some extent.

"What they (the Election Commission) have done so far to improve the electoral process looks alright.

"But we do not agree with the no-objection rule on nomination day," he said.

Karpal said this in response to The Star report Wednesday highlighting the use of ballpoint pens and abolishing of the objection process on nomination day, as among measures taken by the EC to improve the electoral process.

He said not allowing objection across the board posed a "danger" as by-election would be inevitable if unqualified candidates won in elections.

Bersih's Marina Chin Abdullah said the use of pen or pencil to mark ballot papers was immaterial.

"What is more important is for the EC to educate the voters on how to mark the ballot papers," she said.

PAS central committee member Khalid Samad said the use of pencil to mark ballot papers had never been an issue.

"It is not easy to erase marks on ballot papers as they are immediately placed in locked ballot boxes.

"And it is impossible to secretly erase the marks as the ballot boxes are opened in the presence of many people (election workers and candidate agents)," he said.

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