KUCHING: The country needs electoral reforms to improve the voting process.
In making this call, incumbent for Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii said that instead of finding ways to subsidise Sarawakians to return and vote in the 15th general election (GE15), the Sarawak government under the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) should have used their position and government to compel the Election Commission (EC) to introduce all necessary electoral reforms before the upcoming general election, including absentee voting for Sabahans and Sarawakians living in areas outside the two regions.
“While I welcome things that are good for Sarawakians, real electoral reforms would have more long-term effect, rather than merely a short-term gap measure, which may come at a financial cost as well.
“This is something I have been pushing for since the beginning to protect the rights of East Malaysians to vote and facilitate their participation in the democratic process. Right to vote is not just a right for the rich or those that can afford to fly back to vote,” he said in a statement.
Dr Yii, who is DAPSY national chief, said as well as announcing the election date itself, the EC should also have announced reforms to allow Sarawakians and Sabahans to vote without spending thousands of ringgit to return home to vote.
“The reforms could be beforehand to make it safer, fairer, and easier for more voters to be part of the electoral process,” he said.
He estimated that up to 20 per cent of eligible Sabahan and Sarawakian voters are in Malaya as they have to work far from their homes due to unequal economic development among the states.
“They should not be further burdened financially or put at risk during a pandemic by traveling to their constituencies just to exercise their fundamental right to vote,” said Dr Yii.
