KUALA LUMPUR: Global Bersih has called on the Election Commission (EC) to address the challenges posed by the limited time frame and enable Malaysians voting from overseas to exercise their voting rights effectively.
It expressed disappointment in response to Deputy Minister (Prime Minister's Department) Ramkarpal Singh's announcement that the EC did not intend to permit non-Malaysians to act as witnesses on postal ballot documents or allow postal voters to download and print postal voting documents.
"Global Bersih has consistently stressed that the current requirement for postal ballot documents to be signed and witnessed by a Malaysian citizen has been a significant barrier to voting for many overseas Malaysians who live in areas with few or no other Malaysians.
"The EC is urged to explore potential ways to adapt the legal requirements to the specific situation of such Malaysians or to otherwise find solutions to allow them to vote," the statement read.
To address the issue, Global Bersih has suggested using printable PDF ballots to speed up ballot delivery due to the well-known problem of a short timeframe for effective postal voting.
"Global Bersih reiterates its recommendations to extend the campaign period to 21 to 25 days, and to implement a transparent and standardised SOP for ballot delivery to Malaysians overseas.
"This SOP explicitly identifies the fastest and safest method for dispatch and requires a tracking number for each ballot," it said.
It was pleased that the Election Commission (EC) has adopted its suggestion to enhance collaboration with the Foreign Ministry to encourage overseas missions to support the overseas voting process and to better inform overseas voters about voting procedures.
"In the quest for solutions, Global Bersih would like to again stress to the EC that in-person voting at the embassies remains an impractical choice for overseas Malaysians, given its complexity, high cost, and substantial trust deficit.
"We suggest that the EC should also work with other relevant institutions, such as those responsible for overseas students, to educate and provide accurate information to all categories of overseas voters," it added.