While the Election Commission (EC) has rubbished claims that motor oil or other substances could be used to remove the ink stain marking voters who have cast their ballots, it has already sparked off a storm of protests that the ink may not be as indelible as said. Reports of the oil-based lubricant as well as other substances such as egg yolk wash or merely scrubbing with water and soap could remove the indelible ink stain surfaced earlier today, hours after policemen and military personnel cast their ballots in advanced voting. “Impossible, I do not believe the indelible ink can be removed by any oil-based lubricant… the ink is made from silver nitrate. “When the ink is put on the fingernail, it will seep into the skin,” EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof told The Malaysian Insider when contacted. He said that even if the stain on the fingernail could be rubbed off, the stain would stay visible on the skin surrounding the nail for seven days.
A voter getting the indelible ink painted on the left index finger. The EC denies claim that the ink can be removed using motor oil or other substances.
Any voter who attempted to cheat and vote twice would be stopped from doing so by officials on duty at the polling centres, he added.
Abdul Aziz urged claimants who believed that the electoral ink used is delible to file their complaints with the election regulator and demonstrate that removal could be done.
“Can’t cheat by voting twice, the indelible ink used on early voters will not disappear for seven days.
“If they have proof, I hope they come forward with their complaints to the EC,” he said.
via Main – Malaysia – Amid protests, EC insists indelible ink won’t come off @ Tue Apr 30 2013.