The Election Commission (EC) has called on political parties to assist in scrutinising the electoral roll to clear doubts on the voters’ list for the coming 13th general election. EC deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said it was regrettable that certain groups, especially the opposition parties, have often alleged that the electoral roll contains phantom voters.
“Allegations linking the electoral roll with phantom voters are stale issues, as we have taken many measures to ensure the electoral roll is clean,” he told Bernama here. Wan Ahmad said the opposition, who frequently raise the issue of phantom voters, should come out with proof and not make wild allegations. “Who are the phantom voters? Why not expose them, as EC would like to catch them and bring them to court as well,” he said.
He said the issue of phantom voters should not have arisen, as contesting parties have representatives at each polling station and “this clearly shows our election system implemented is fair and clean.”
“Do not drag the EC into politics, as we are not related to anyone. In fact, EC work towards providing the cleanest possible data, including withdrawing from the electoral roll the names of those who have passed away,” he said.
Between January and September this year, according to Wan Ahmad, the names of almost 60,000 voters who have died were discarded from the voters’ list throughout the country, with the cooperation of the National Registration Department and scrutiny by the EC itself.
Wan Ahmad again gave his guarantee that the electoral roll to be used by the commission in the 13th general election is the cleanest possible.
Source: Political Parties Asked To Scrutinise Electoral Roll To Clear Doubts