PUTRAJAYA: The Election Commission (EC) has debunked two viral messages claiming that the deadline for voter registration is Sept 30 (tomorrow), and that it can be conducted via Whatsapp.
Its chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Hashim Abdullah said the public must not be duped by a message saying that they must register by tomorrow (Sept 30) for them to be eligible voters in the 14th General Election should it be held by March next year.
"For those who register by Sept 30, their names will be in the third quarter supplementary electoral roll 2016.
"The public can still register after Sept 30. For those who register from Oct 1 (Saturday) to Dec 31, their names will only appear in the fourth quarter supplementary 2016 electoral roll," he said in a statement.
Hashim said the EC gazetted supplementary electoral rolls on a quarterly basis, namely the first quarter (Jan-March), the second quarter (April-June), the third quarter (July-Sept) and the fourth quarter (Oct-Dec).
On the possibility that the next general election will be held in March next year, Hashim said it is merely an assumption made by several parties.
"The prerogative to dissolve Dewan Rakyat is in the hands of the prime minister," he added.
He also rubbished another viral message saying Malaysians could register as a voter via the Whatsapp application, or short messaging system, by sending a copy of their identification card to certain telephone numbers.
"This is false information. To register as a voter, one must be present at the EC registration counter or any post office counter, and bring one's original IC and fill in Form A."
Hashim also reminded all quarters not to use the EC logo without permission for any voter registration campaign because their action could confuse the public.