I have never really thought very deeply about the allegations about phantom voters in Malaysia's electoral rolls. But, as it turns out, I have recently been informed by good friends who have lived overseas for quite some time due to career and work commitments (so this is first-hand) that their names have mysteriously been shown as having been registered in the Election Commission's electoral rolls.
Quite naturally, I was sceptical and I asked the one who has recently returned to Malaysia, a Malaysian of Indian descent, to give me his identity card number. I typed in the number at SPR's website.
Lo! And, behold! My friend's name popped up as a registered voter in Subang Jaya. What gives, EC?!!!
The other two, Malaysians with Chinese and Kayan genes, are registered as voters somewhere in Kuching, Sarawak and, they told me that, for all it's worth, they have lodged complaints to the Election Commission.
I say, "for all it's worth" because Judge Vernon Ong has just thrown out Charles Santiago's complaint.
This is a serious concern.
I have not participated in any of the Bersih rallies... but, I am forced to acknowledge that Ambiga and the Bersih people weren't crying wolf.
The electoral rolls need to be seriously reviewed and cleaned up.
The shitty part is that I'm a voter in Charles Santiago's constituency in Klang. This means that if I vote for him, my vote would be negated by the phantoms that he has alleged, exists in the Klang voter rolls.
If I vote against him phantoms would not negate my vote.
Hmmmm...... decisions, decisions.......
