The Election Commission is looking into replacing the indelible ink with a biometric system as proposed by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim. Its deputy chairman Datuk Wira Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said amendments to the laws must be made if it were to scrap the use of indelible ink. “We are still scrutinising the matter internally,” he said, adding that the biometric system should be more suitable for Malaysia as it was at the forefront of digital as well as information and communication technology. He pointed out that the national registry system and MyKad were among the best in the world.
“Using indelible ink (which was mooted by the Opposition) is retrogressive. Only third-world countries use it. We have the best database of citizens. So, why should we use indelible ink like a third-world country?” he said.
He was commenting on Shahidan’s statement in Parliament that the Government was open to the idea of scrapping the indelible ink and replacing this with the biometric system.
Wan Ahmad said that although the idea to implement indelible ink came from the Opposition, it had become a subject of ridicule due to a politically motivated agenda.
Full Article: Election commission may replace ink with biometric system.