MOST Malaysians will welcome Bersih 2.0 chairman Maria Chin Abdullah’s call to the Election Commission to allow East Malaysians living in Peninsular Malaysia and others to register as absentee voters.

It is their constitutional right to vote. Why should we deny this right, just because of some outdated regulations, insist that Sabahan and Sarawakians in Peninsular Malaysia must return to their homes in Sabah and Sarawak to vote.

Why can’t we give them the same privilege as emergency workers, the police, the army and media personnel to vote before polling day as absentee voters.

Why do we subject 150,000 Sabahans and Sarawakians in the peninsula the requirement of going back to their home states, hundreds of kilometres away, in order to vote. Doing so would force them to incur the heavy costs of air tickets.

We are, thus, penalising our brothers and sisters from East Malaysia.

The same arguments can apply to the thousands of Malaysians from the peninsula who are working as civil servants, teachers, doctors and businessmen in Sabah and Sarawak.

Chin, civil society leaders and voters who are affected by this situation have appealed to the government, especially the EC, to rectify this electoral irregularity, in the interests of, as Chin says, “transparency and accountability”.      

Integrity of EC

However, I would humbly propose that we add the goal of “integrity”.  

How can we, the voters, have confidence in the electoral system if the Election Commission continues to ignore appeals for more consideration to facilitate far-flung Malaysians who want to vote? The EC must show more empathy to win more respect.

So, our appeal to the government and EC is to take heed and to enable us in far-away places to participate in our sacred responsibility to vote.

Surely, the primary aim of the EC is to encourage and enable all Malaysians to fulfil their duty to vote rather than discourage and even deny them their right.

I believe the government and the opposition will be rewarded if those on opposite sides of the South China Sea are given the convenience to cast their ballots as absentee voters.

Hence, I appeal to the government to please help more Malaysians separated by the South China Sea for their home states to register as absentee voters in time for the next general election. – September 25, 2017.

* Ramon Navaratnam is chairman of the Asli Centre of Public Policy Studies.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.