Australians cast ballots at High Commission
KUALA LUMPUR: Over 1,000 Australians currently living and travelling in Malaysia had cast their ballots in the Australian Federal Election at its High Commission in Kuala Lumpur as voting period ended at 2.00 pm yesterday.
Advanced voting process for Australians overseas began since May 6 at around 90 Australian embassies and consulates across the world which had been designated as overseas voting centres for its citizens.
Australia's High Commissioner in Malaysia, Andrew Goledzinowski, said the process went smoothly, adding that the ballot papers would be couriered to Canberra as soon as possible.
A total of six officers, including Goledzinowski - who was also the Returning Officer - had been tasked with overseeing the whole voting process.
“Australia's elections, regardless of who you support, are always conducted in a spirit of warmth and friendliness at the voting centres, and today's event is an expression of that,” he said.
He said this at a briefing for a group of Malaysian officials and media who were invited to witness the overseas voting process and the High Commission's roles in supporting and facilitating its citizens in casting their votes at the High Commission, yesterday.
Among those present were Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Hannah Yeoh, Deputy Defence Minister Liew Chin Tong, Dewan Rakyat's secretary Datuk Roosme Hamzah, representatives from Malaysia's Electoral Reform Committee and the Election Commission, as well as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).