Sunday April 28, 2013

GE13: Malaysians abroad looking forward to voting

KANGAR: Several Malaysians registered as voters abroad are looking forward to casting their ballots for GE13 today.

Civil engineer Sek Chin Yong, 36, who resides in Paris, lauded the move by the Election Commission to allow people like him to vote without having to fly back home.

“I was excited upon learning that registration for overseas voting was opened on Jan 21.

“I submitted my application the next day and it took the EC almost three months to get my status confirmed.

“At first, I was worried that I might not be able to vote in Paris and would have to return to Malaysia to vote but luckily it was all sorted out,” Sek said.

Sek, who moved to Paris last year, views voting as a privilege in which Malaysians are given a say in the future of the country.

He will vote at the Malaysian Embassy in Paris today.

“This will be my third time voting and I'm glad I don't have to miss it,” said the voter for the Tampin parliamentary seat and the Gemencheh state seat.

It was reported that the rules allowing Malaysians abroad to vote by post were gazetted on Jan 21.

Previously, only full-time students as well as civil servants and their spouses were allowed to vote by post.

First-time voter Tang Ngang Heok, 27, a PhD student at University College London, is looking forward to casting his ballot at the Malaysian High Commission in the British capital today.

Tang has been staying in London for three years with his spouse Karen Chew.

Chew, 27, said they applied online for postal voting in February and the process was smooth and systematic.

“I'm living abroad but I always keep track of what's happening in Malaysia because I care,” she said.

The couple are both voters in the Teluk Intan parliamentary seat and Pasir Bedamar state seat.

For more election stories, please visit The Star's GE13 site

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