EC Urges Voters To Update Addresses To Place Of Residence

KUALA LUMPUR, July 8 (Bernama) -- The Election Commission (EC) has urged voters who have relocated to update their voting addresses to their current place of residence to ensure elected representatives represent the communities they serve.

EC deputy chairman Dr Azmi Sharom said Malaysia's democratic system is constituency-based, making it important for voters to elect the State Assemblyman (ADUN) or Member of Parliament (MP) representing the area in which they live.

"Vote where we live. Not only is it more convenient, but our system of government is based on an ADUN or MP representing the residents of a particular area.

"If we live in that area, we should be the ones deciding who represents us, rather than voting in a constituency located hundreds of kilometres away," he said when appearing on Bernama Radio's Fokus 30 programme here today.

Azmi said voters must first update the address on their identity cards before changing their voting address, which can now be done online.

He said the electoral roll is now updated monthly, enabling changes to voting addresses to be processed more quickly compared with the previous quarterly update cycle.

While acknowledging that sentimental attachment to one's hometown may discourage some voters from changing their voting addresses, he stressed that doing so is important to ensure the constituency-based representation system functions effectively.

On preparations for the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections, Azmi said arrangements for the Johor polls on July 11 were almost complete, with only final logistical matters remaining.

He said preparations for the Negeri Sembilan state election were still at an early stage as the nomination process had yet to take place, while ballot papers had not yet been printed.

Azmi also expressed appreciation to election workers for ensuring the smooth conduct of the electoral process, noting that more than 43,000 personnel would be deployed for the Johor state election and over 15,000 for the Negeri Sembilan polls.

-- BERNAMA