PAKATAN Harapan today said it will object to any changes to election regulations by the Election Commission.

PH chief secretary Saifuddin Abdullah said in a briefing by the EC, the pact was told that there might be changes to the rules concerning polling and counting agents (Paca), as well as vote-counting, in the 14th general election.

“Normally, parties and candidates will send names to Paca just before voting day. Now, we hear that there is a possibility the names must be given earlier.

“Second thing is, vote-counting is usually done one after another, starting with Parliament and then, state. This time, it might be done simultaneously,” he said during a press conference in Parliament.

PH chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he will write to EC chairman Mohd Hashim Abdullah to object to the possible changes.

“Such changes are not suitable for elections. They (changes) were not informed in writing.

“They keep saying this or that is possible. We can’t make the necessary preparations.”

It was reported that Invoke, the PH-linked big data analytics machinery, is working on recruiting, training and deploying some 100 Paca in key marginal seats for GE14, as their expertise in weeding out phantom voters could be the difference between victory and defeat for the opposition. – March 20, 2018.