Sunday May 5, 2013

GE13: ‘Photo of scattered MyKads that of robbery case two years ago’

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have refuted allegations of the existence of phantom voters following the publications of a picture showing scattered MyKads and ATM cards on social media.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the picture, which had gone viral with 5,033 shares on Facebook, was actually taken from a robbery case in Kedah.

“The picture was actually of a robbery which happened two years ago.

“The cards were scattered while police detained the suspect, who was involved in house break-in cases and snatch thefts. It has nothing to do with phantom voters,” he said yesterday.

Khalid criticised those who believed in unverified information spread on social media without bothering to check.

He confirmed that the police had not received any reports on the existence of phantom voters.

“The Election Commission has a system to ensure only certified voters can cast their votes,” he added.

The picture, which depicted a policeman showing MyKad and ATM cards strewn on a road, have been used by some parties to claim it was proof of foreigners being used as phantom voters. The controversial posting, which read Bukti ... Mykad untuk bangla, Myanmar , Philippines, Jom kita pergi luar negeri, biar dia undi! (Proof ... MyKad for Bangladeshis, Burmese, Philippines. Let us go overseas, let them vote).

The Pakatan Rakyat and Bersih 2.0 had claimed that phantom voters existed.

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

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