The international chapter of the electoral reform group said the current requirement for Malaysian witnesses “has been challenging for voters in areas where there are few Malaysians”.
It said there is a “real risk” that overseas voters will face huge difficulties in exercising their right to vote through the postal voting process due to the significant increase in the number of overseas voters.
Other challenges include the distribution and return of ballots during the monsoon season as well as the Covid-19 pandemic.
It also called on the foreign ministry to ensure that Malaysian foreign missions communicate accurate and up-to-date information about the postal voting process to overseas Malaysians.
“This will (otherwise) confuse overseas voters,” it said in a statement, citing foreign missions in Wellington, New Zealand and Canberra, Australia as still employing outdated voting information.
It also urged the EC to extend the campaigning period between 21 and 25 days to allow sufficient time for Malaysians abroad to receive and send their ballots to their respective polling stations.
It pointed out that during GE14, overseas Malaysians struggled to get their ballots back to Malaysia as the 11-day campaign period was “extremely short”.
“The EC must seriously consider the requirement for the postal voting system to function effectively when selecting the polling date.”
Earlier today, the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall called for a campaign period of 21 days to accommodate the surge in the number of new voters.
Parliament was dissolved yesterday to pave the way for a general election. The EC will meet on Oct 20 to decide on election dates, however, the general expectation is that polling will take place in early November.
Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram