Monday May 6, 2013

GE13: Election Commission - Ink or no ink, it’s impossible to vote twice

Proud stain: Zawanah Zainal (left), 21, and twin sister Zayanah Zainal showing their marked index finger after voting at SK Parit Lapis in Batu Pahat.

KUALA LUMPUR: Despite the indelible ink being washed off in some cases, voters could not vote a second time as their names were struck off from the list after they had voted, Election Commission deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said.

“It is impossible for them to vote again even if they tried. Their names would only appear at a particular stream and those who attempt to vote again at a different stream will not be able to do so.

“Even if they scrub their fingers and come back to vote at the same stream, they would still not be able to do so as their names had been marked off,” he said after visiting the polling centre at SK Bukit Bandaraya here yesterday.

Wan Ahmad said the ink should remain if instructions were properly followed and the bottles shaken as required.

The ink has to be fully coated on the finger and more than one coat applied.

When used properly, the ink would take between five and seven days to wash off.

In Kuantan, a voter lodged a police report alleging that the indelible ink had washed off easily.

Soo Wai Lun, 45, said in his report that he had washed his finger with water and dish washing liquid 30 minutes after it was marked at the polling centre in SK (P) Methodist.

“I wanted to test whether what the EC said about the indelible ink is true. It turns out that the ink could really be washed off,” he said.

In Ipoh, police received 14 reports from voters on the same matter.

Perak police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohd Shukri Dahlan said the complainants reported that the ink could either be completely or partially washed off easily.

In Kangar, PAS deputy spiritual leader Datuk Dr Haron Din also lodged a police report.

He claimed that the indelible ink on his left index finger was washed away with soap within an hour after voting at SJK (C) Simpang Empat.

In Kemaman, two PAS members also lodged police reports over the indelible ink.

Kemaman PAS chief Ismail Harun claimed that he could wash the ink off his finger with just tap water.

“As you can see, most of it is gone. I left a bit on the side of the nail to show that I had cast my vote.

“The police should investigate whether the ink is genuine or imitation,” he said, adding that so much money had been spent to buy the indelible ink.

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

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