FEB 2 – The Election Commission (EC) has sparked outrage with the idea that Malaysians abroad can’t vote if they don’t pay taxes in Malaysia, in a rather perverse twist of the “No Taxation without Representation” revolt that brought United States of America its independence in 1776. Perhaps a lesson in English for the EC, “No Taxation without Representation” is different from “No Representation without Taxation” as the ideas come from opposing forces. The right to vote is a fundamental right for all citizens of an eligible age. It doesn’t matter if they don’t pay tax. If so, a lot of civil servants can’t vote and Barisan Nasional (BN) might be in the opposition bench already. Let’s get every eligible citizen to vote, not find ways to stop them from exercising that right. And for the record, the US allows all citizens to vote.