13.3 million eligible to vote in coming polls

Tan Sri Dato' Seri Abdul Aziz bin Mohd Yusof

CHECK YOUR NAMES: Electoral roll to be sent for gazetting on Feb 22, says EC chairman

KUALA LUMPUR: The new electoral roll listing 13.34 million voters who have registered until December last year will be submitted for gazetting on Feb 22.

In making the announcement yesterday, Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof urged voters to vet the electoral roll and notify the EC should they detect any mistake.

Aziz said from 2007 until last year, there had been an increase in the level of political literacy among the public, particularly those aged 39 and below.

"In fact, there are 16 million eligible voters in the country today and 13.34 million are already registered," he said.

"There is also an increase of 2.3 million young voters this time, which is a substantial number in comparison with previous years."

In the 2008 general election, a total of 10.9 million had registered as voters with registered voter turnout about 76 per cent.

Aziz also rubbished claims by election watchdog Bersih 2.0 that the EC seemed defensive about the 13th general election results when warning against violence by the losing coalition, supposedly indicating that there could be possible fraud in the upcoming polls.

Aziz, in turning the tables on Bersih 2.0 at a press conference yesterday, said that to date, 18 amendments had been made to the electoral roll, all abiding by strict rules and regulations.
"I just made it clear that in accordance to the laws in our country, those who are still unsatisfied with the final results of the polls can bring the matter to the High Court.

"The platform has been prepared for you. Collect the proof and bring it to court.

"I did not 'warn' that there will be civil unrest after the results are announced.

"Several quarters are even labelling the upcoming election as the 'dirtiest' but I beg to differ."
Aziz added that several unscrupulous parties made such statements for their own mileage.
"I deny that the election will be a dirty affair.

"Who wants to make it dirty? How can it be dirty when so much has been done to ensure that this in fact is the cleanest polls," he said, adding that the allegation was a biased statement.

On Bersih 2.0's recommendation that international observers be invited to observe polling, Aziz said that was not for Bersih to decide.

"To date, no foreign observers have applied to come.
"Besides, there must be an application from an international observer who intends to watch the way our polls are conducted before being chosen."

Aziz said that the EC had however given the "mandate" to 16 non-governmental organisations to become local observers during the election.

He had earlier participated in a roundtable discussion entitled "Public Perception of the EC" organised by the National Professors Council (MPN) in a joint collaboration with Malay daily Berita Harian here.
Present was MPN chairman Professor Emeritus Datuk Seri Dr Zakri Abdul Hamid, who launched a new website www.bangipoll.com.

The webpage contains data on a research carried out by MPN and several other organisations over a period of eight months on political socialisation.


Read more: 13.3 million eligible to vote in coming polls - General - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/13-3-million-eligible-to-vote-in-coming-polls-1.219335#ixzz2L3EcHcYo