KUCHING: Overwhelming 91.7 percent of Sarawakians working and studying overseas are hoping to see the Election Commission (EC) implement a policy to allow out-of-region voting.
Persatuan Pemangkin Daya Masyarakat recently ran an online public survey via Google Questionnaire shared across social media for over a week.
Seventy-two respondents took part in the survey of those working and living in Malaya followed those in Sabah and a few in Hong Kong and Australia.
This was an attempt to study and gauge the responses of Sarawakian voters with voting addresses in Sarawak but working and studying outside of the state, towards absentee voting reforms.
The association’s chairwoman Ann Teo stated that of the five questions asked, one was for them to indicate whether or not they would return to vote in the coming state election.
“The numbers of indecisive respondents outnumber the ones with positive answers. Some 40.3 percent answered ‘Maybe’ and only 36.1 percent answered ‘Yes’.
“This is not a complete surprise and one of the obvious reasons is the prohibitive costs of travel to their home state,” she said.
She added that it was worth repeating the known fact that East Malaysia is separated from Malaya by the South China Sea and travel by air is expensive.
“A normal weekend flight to Miri from Kuala Lumpur cost a minimum of RM800 or more and many need to travel further to other towns or villages by road.
“Those in Bario, Baram require four-wheel drive vehicles that cost RM250 per person per trip, not to mention the time required to travel to and fro. As such, Sarawakian voters usually save their annual leave for their festive seasons.
According to Ann, they (respondents) answered that they would support such initiative or changes in the procedures that would allow them to do so.
“We are heartened to know that Absentee Voting Reform is on the agenda of the Election Commission.
“We are also aware that they are looking into the matter including the various options to allow East Malaysians, in particular Sarawakians, to vote out-of-region if they are living, working or studying in Malaya or Sabah.
“It is the constitutional duty of the EC to realise the voting rights of all Malaysians and especially of those on this side of the South China Sea due to lack of economic opportunities in our own state,” she said.
The next state election, which occurs separately from the national general election, is a good time for the EC to roll out its reform plan and implement a strategy to enfranchise Sarawak voters.
She said that this could be done by way of setting up voting centres in certain towns in Malaya and Sabah or by way of postal voting.
