Malaysians in Thailand help to fly ballots home

BANGKOK: Chan Tze Weng, a Malaysian working in Pathum Thani, Thailand, wanted to vote in the 15th General Election.

But due to distance and time constraints, he decided to do so via postal balloting with help from volunteers.

“I want to make sure every vote counts. That is why I registered as an overseas voter and made sure my ballots arrived home on time,” he told Bernama.

For Malaysians living overseas, they are joining the global effort in assisting fellow countrymen to deliver postal votes home on time.

They include UNDI18 and Global Malaysia Network, among others.

Yap Lu Ying, who has been working in Bangkok for four years now, said she is helping fellow Malaysians here to deliver their ballots home.

She set up the date and time for the collection of ballots in Bangkok before bringing them back to Malaysia yesterday.

This is the second time she volunteered to help bring home the ballots of fellow Malaysians in Thailand.

Yap, who is the regional business director of Traxasia, said she helped fellow Malaysians in Thailand to exercise their voting rights.

“I hope the initiative will help to make the voices of more Malaysians heard in the coming election.

“We do have first-time voters as well, also someone who last voted 20 years ago.

“Ballots coming all the way from Phuket and Ayutthaya. They are overcoming all challenges just to pass us the ballots.

“All Malaysians care for our country and we want a better Malaysia,” she told Bernama.

Yap hoped more Malaysians back home will come out to vote today.

“Please do not think your vote is not important,” she said.

Lana Tan Swee Lan, who is also in Bangkok, wants Malaysians living abroad to have their say as well in this election.

“I knew many (postal ballots) would not make it on time, therefore I decided to travel home four days earlier so all ballots I collected would make it home on time,” she said.

Tan collected 104 ballots from Malaysians living and working in Thailand.

According to UNDI18, all the ballot envelopes will be taken to the sorting centre in Kuala Lumpur for the sorting process of the 221 parliamentary and 117 state legislative assembly seats being contested this round.

Polls for the Padang Serai parliamentary seat will be held on Dec 7 following the death of Pakatan Harapan candidate and incumbent Karupaiya Muthusami.

“Please do not think your vote is not important.” yap Lu ying