EC: Only 3pc of voters checked status last month
KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 — Fewer than three per cent or only 354,436 out of 12.9 million registered voters nationwide checked their registration status during the Electoral Roll Checking Month Campaign 2012 last month.
Election Commission (EC) secretary Datuk Kamaruddin Mohamed Baria said of the three per cent, 234,592 voters checked their status via the EC’s website, Short Messaging System (106,238 voters), telephone (6,884 voters), in person (6,578 voters) and fax (402 voters). The remainder wrote in.
“The EC really appreciates those who have shown their concerns and checked their status. This is because only the voters will know their information and if there were mistakes, they can correct it,” he said in a statement here today.
The status can be checked through the EC’s website at www.spr.gov.my or by sending SPR <space> SEMAK <space> IDENTITY CARD NUMBER to 15888 or by contacting the EC headquarters at 03-88856565.
Meanwhile, Kamaruddin refuted the allegation made by an opposition party’s newspaper that those who wanted to register as voters were required to go to an Umno office.
“The EC’s investigation with Pos Malaysia found that the allegation is not true, but Pos Malaysia had admitted that the several post offices have been out of voter registration forms since June 8.
“While waiting for new forms, the staff at the post offices had advised potential new voters to get their forms at the nearest post office and not to other go through other channels as reported,” he said.
On the issues about new voters aged more than 50 years and Selangor having more voters than Sabah, he said under Article 119(1) of the Federal Constitution, a citizen could register as voter based on three conditions, namely having reached the age of 21, living in any electoral constituency and not having been disqualified as a voter in the past.
“It is up to the individual to find the perfect time to register as a voter. As of July 5, Selangor alone has 2,648 new voters aged 50 and above.
“And no matter where the individual hails from, he can register as a voter in any state he lives in. However, the registration must be made based on the address stated in his identity card,” he added. — Bernama
