ALL votes , including those of civil servants, are confidential, Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed said today.

He said Putrajaya could only determine the behaviour of voters but it could not tell which parties they voted for as the ballot remained secret.

“If the government could tell who voted for the opposition instead of for Barisan Nasional in the 2008 and 2013 general elections, many would had been subjected to some negative action by now,” he told The Malaysian Insight. 

Nur Jazlan said the confidentiality of the votes was proven as the opposition went on to win many parliamentary and state seats in the 2008 polls and again in the 2013 polls, taking several states like Kelantan, Selangor and Penang.

“It is of no benefit to BN to punish people who did not vote for us. We just hope that they will understand the BN struggle,” he said.

Nur Jazlan said this in response to Pakatan Harapan chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamed, who yesterday told civil servants they had nothing to fear by voting for Pakatan Harapan in the coming polls.

The former prime minister, who previously led BN to win five general elections, all with a two-thirds majority, had assured civil servants that their votes were secret.

“The truth is, the government will not know who voted for whom. Many may be afraid that if they don’t vote for the (ruling) government, action will be taken against them,” he said.

As the prime minister then, he said, he did not know who voted or did not vote for BN.

“That was why many who are my enemies received appointments and got to become ministers,” he said.

According to the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs), there are currently 500,000 civil servants in the country.

Cuepacs deputy president Zainal Ismail said votes were confidential, as far as he knew.

“It should not be possible for another person to find out which way a person votes.

“Cuepacs also does not force its members to vote for anyone. They are free to decide for themselves. They are wise enough to decide.

“We will support the government of the day elected in the general election,” he said, adding that Cuepacs hoped for nothing more than a government that cared for its civil servants.

Zainal said Cuepacs’ number one priority at a time when the cost of living was going up was the welfare of civil servants.

“Things are getting expensive but our salaries remain stagnant. We don’t want to threaten the government but please give a care about our welfare,” he said. – July 27, 2017.