No plans for online voting yet
THE Election Commission (EC) is prepared to conduct an election if required, and health and safety guidelines will be tailored to the Covid-19 situation that Malaysia is facing – with the possibility of stricter standard operating procedures (SOPs)
“Our SOP will be created to fit the situation at the time. It will be done with intense consultations with the relevant agencies with public health and safety the highest priority,” EC deputy chairman Dr Azmi Sharom tells Sunday Star.
The current election SOPs require temperature checks, face masks, hand sanitisation and social distancing at polling stations. For the Chini and Slim by-election and Sabah state elections, SOP outlines state that campaign and talks can only be conducted with a police permit and in enclosed or gated areas to facilitate monitoring and body temperature checks. Attendees must wear masks and cannot exceed 250 people. Smaller venues will be required to have fewer participants to allow for social distancing. The number of people on walkabouts are restricted and voters were also given suggested times to cast their ballot.
Although the Chini and Slim by-elections concluded fairly smoothly, a large Covid-19 outbreak took place during and after the Sabah state polls, affecting not just Sabah but spread to other states as well..
“Stricter SOPs can be imposed to limit human contact as far as possible during campaigning. However, what exactly the SOP will be will depend on discussions between the EC and the relevant ministries and agencies (mainly the Health Ministry) if and when an election is required,” he says.
Crucially, enforcement will be a priority. Election enforcement teams typically consist of representatives from the EC, police, local authority representatives, and party representatives.
“We will have to be firm when ensuring people are complying with the SOP. And it is hoped that Malaysians prove that they are mature and responsible. That they comply with the SOP and take any reminders in the spirit of concern for public safety and health,” says Azmi.
The Federal Constitution states that the EC has 60 days to hold an election after the vacancy of a seat in Parliament or State Assembly or the dissolution of said assemblies.
“There are no provisions whatsoever for the delaying or postponement of elections beyond those 60 days. As of this moment the EC has no plans for extending postal voting to include postal voting from within the country, nor are there any plans for online voting. I would like to assert here that the safety, confidentiality and security of the vote is of utmost importance,” says Azmi.
“The public must have full confidence in the system. To make any major change in our polling system must not be done hurriedly because it could lead to greater problems than it seeks to solve,” he adds.
Currently, there are about 15 million registered voters in Malaysia.