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November 04, 2009 14:08 PM
Postal Votes To Remain - Nazri
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 (Bernama) -- The government has no plans to review or change the postal voting system for police and armed forces said minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz on Wednesday.
Nazri said the Election Commission (EC) does allow representatives of parties that contest in a particular election, to witness the voting process, to ensure it was carried out in a fair and transparent manner.
"EC feels the postal voting system is still relevant in accordance with the election procedures," said Nazri in Parliament here today when answering a question by Datuk Abdul Halim Abdul Rahman (PAS-Pengkalan Chepa) who wanted to know if the government had any plans to change the system to what was practiced by Thailand.
He also refuted Abdul Halim's claim that there were 2.5 million names of deceased voters in the electoral list, because the EC updates the electoral list every six months, according to the list of deceased voters provided by the National Registration Department.
Nazri added that the status of wives' of police and armed forces personnel would also remain in the current capacity since the EC does not intend to change their status to normal voters.
"If the wife lives with her husband who is on duty in Sarawak but registered as a voter in Pengkalan Chepa, it does not make sense for her to return to Pengkalan Chepa to vote, since it involves cost, logistics and other matters," he said.
He added that the postal voting system provided an opportunity for police, armed forces, civil defence forces and students studying abroad to fulfill their obligations as voters.
"However, that does not mean the EC will not improve certain aspects of the system because they (EC) are always responsive to changes," he said.
He added that it has become a norm for the opposition to start complaining to the EC whenever they lost an election.
"Barisan Nasional do not retort to such action even if the lost involved postal votes," he said.
-- BERNAMA
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