Postal voting facilities for Malaysian citizens living abroad, apart from absentee voters, will be implemented for the 13th general election (GE).
Election Commission (EC) secretary Kamaruddin Mohamed Baria said this was in line with recommendations from the Special Election Committee on Improving the Election Process for Malaysians living abroad and absentee voters to be given postal voting facilities.
For this to be implemented, the EC was finalising the policies, logistics planning, manpower and financial allocations before amendments on the Election Regulations (Postal Voting) 2003 was made, Kamaruddin (left) said.
“After the regulations are finalised, the EC will set a date for its implementation and will be brought for approval by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
“Following this, the regulations will be gazetted and then tabled at the Dewan Rakyat,” 
Kamaruddin said in a statement today.
Kamaruddin explained that although the third meeting of the fifth session of the 12th Dewan Rakyat had ended, and new regulations had not been tabled, it did not mean the regulations could not be enforced during the GE.
“The EC will ensure that the date for implementation of the regulations is set, so it can be used in the general election.
“Tabling of the regulations at Dewan Rakyat, according to Section 17 of the Election Act 1958, is required by law after it is approved by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, setting of the enforcement date and gazetting of the regulations are done,” he said. – Bernama
Sound familiar, folks?
Remember the indelible ink fiasco in the run up to the 12th GE?
Here’s an excerpt of what I wrote on 6th May, 2008, to remind you.
“Malaysiakini has it on record that in December, 2006, Rashid poo-pooed a proposal from Bersih to use indelible ink as “archaic”.
6 months later, in June, Malaysiakini reported that Rashid did an about-turn and announced that the EC was in principle agreeable to the use of the indelible ink, subject to two issues being sorted out.
One of those issues was whether there was a need to amend legislation such as the Election (Conduct of Elections) Regulations 1981 to allow for the implementation of the the proposal.
Rashid is quoted as saying, “We hope we can carry out the proposal in time for the forthcoming general election because there have been a lot of requests on this, especially from the opposition”.
Note that at this time, Rashid was well aware that the use of the indelible ink might well need amendments to the law if it was to be effected at the next elections.
Malaysiakini further reports that in July last year, at a meeting between Rashid and BERSIH reps, the former had said that use of the indelible ink was also subject to prior approval of the Fatwa Council. Further, Rashid had said that the EC was not as yet allowed by law to compel voters who had cast their ballots to be marked with indelible ink and such a move must be done voluntarily by the voters.
Note here that Rashid was already aware of this issue as early as July last year.
On 8th August last year, Malaysiakini reported that the National Fatwa Council had okayed the proposed use of the indelible ink and five days later, Malaysiakini reported that the EC had finally approved the use of the indelible ink for the next GE.
Now, having said earlier that the EC hoped to be able to use the indelible ink for the next elections, one would have expected that Rashid would have got the AG’s Chambers to get into Parliament the necessary bill to amend the law to address the problems to the use of the indelible ink that he was plainly aware of.
Nothing happened.
On 7th January, 2008, Malaysiakini reported that Rashid had said that nationwide polls were “around the corner”.
To quote Rashid : “When I say the election is around the corner, you better believe me because it is not a joke,”
And still no action taken by the EC to have the necessary laws passed to allow for the use of the indelible ink at the polls that were “around the corner”.
Parliament was dissolved on 14th February and the EC fixed polling day on 8th March.
Then came the bombshell. Four days before the last GE, Rashid announces that the indelible ink will not be used.
You honestly believe the EC is going to give the vote to overseas Malaysians?
You honestly believe Najib, UMNO and BN are going to give us any of the BERSIH demands?
What, and sign their own death warrant?
The People's Parliament 
Madcow Muar
December 5, 2012
If there can be phantom voters here, what if there will be phantom voters from this exercise or in the same likeness of postal voters?
sunwayopal
December 5, 2012
Theres only 2 conclusions :-
1) They will do a last minute about turn ala the indelible ink as u described above.
2) This is an excuse for them to create massive electoral fraud. Where will the votes be counted ? Will there be a Pakatan vote counter present at every embassy ? Who is going to see ? Dont be surprised that these so called ‘postal votes’ numbers will b totally rigged come election night time.
There are NO OTHER possibilities.
Which raises an interesting question then. If elections itself is rigged , whats the next step ? Go for more elections ?
sunwayopal
Sandra
December 5, 2012
Oh dear…i guess the we must give pressure to the EC. Or maybe to her boss, UMNO government for the demands. Change the EC members with independent members. We dont want to play the con man games. No election until the demands are done. What is the meaning if the government body and system lost its public confidence?
Taipan
December 5, 2012
Look like these morons will go to any extent to keep the Umno government in power. I am prepared to “Duduk Bantah” once again and, perhaps, shop for some winter clothings just in case it snows on Christmas Day! The world ends on Dec 21, 2012 according to the Mayan calendar. Let’s see which comes first in this god forsaken country!
Voter Wan Abdullah
December 5, 2012
I honestly believe Najib, UMNO and BN via EC will allow postal ballot 100% and I have 100% faith in BN who will hijack those postal ballots 100% in favour of BN.
ABU ABU ABU.
Another Anak Bangsa Malaysia
December 5, 2012
The Dewan Rakyat session has ended so how can the changes to the Electoral Act be tabled? Recall parliament for an extraordinary session? I don’t think so.
All just “feel-good” talk to provide that veneer of respectability for BN.
The only reason for allowing overseas voting is if they have worked out how to cheat with the ballot boxes enroute to counting, e.g. during disembarkation from plane and terminal at KLIA or between KLIA and where the counting occurs.
I would be interested in how the ballot boxes can be safeguarded.
abdullah37
December 5, 2012
We can be cocksure that whatever proposals which are detrimental to those big time cheats will NEVER be implemented. These cheats will cheat their way out of any situation. Unless and untill BN is defeated there won’t be fair play for those in the opposition.
bigjoe99
December 5, 2012
Lets talk about practical. I believe that the additional electoral fraud was going to be something of the order of 5% of the total votes but Selangor would have a disporportionate amount of it – say 10% or slightly more. The reason the numbers are that is because even UMNO do not have the stupidity to do more – otherwise they know they invite trouble or being exposed and in the long run the treasonous behaviour will boomerang because the resident Malays will revolt and the new migrants no way as loyal..
We know that toe-to-toe, that PR, net-net is at least the same number of voters as in 2008. We know that PR need to swing votes by at least another 5% from 2008 in order to win GE if there is no new electoral fraud. In other words if PR swings 10% vote nationwide, then it will not only retain Selangor albeit with some losses, it will be able to capture Putrajaya…
Its why I say Anwar should hound Najib for a debate because a live television debate win is worth at least 5% vote immediately, A long campaign to hound Najib with various issues including running away from the debate, can add up to the same thing. THAT together with everything else that has been done, will get us that 10% nationwide vote swing that will get PR to Putrajaya..
ablogsmith
December 5, 2012
Well maybe a bit believable. If they actually implement it, expect that they have already figured out how to cheat perhaps like postal voting by the armed forces. I vividly remembered meeting this DAP candidate from KKB (Kuala Kubu Bharu). He told me that he was so happy when at the beginning he was winning. However, at the end when the postal votes came in, he lost.
ablogsmith
December 5, 2012
So everybody who are expecting widespread cheating, please go all out to encourage everyone to come out to vote in huge numbers to overcome the cheating. That is the only way.
pywong
December 5, 2012
Just support this: http://www.tindakmalaysia.com/showthread.php/5680-MERP-Malaysia-Electoral-Reform-Programme-Launching-on-Facebook?p=14377#post14377. The hard work has been done. Click like at FB https://www.facebook.com/pages/Malaysia-Electoral-Reform-Programme/458945897485696
Anthony Ajayaraju
December 6, 2012
right buddy abdullah 37-bn must go and allow the opposition to rule for a term.
yeoh san nee
December 6, 2012
How to trust a flip-flop liar ?
Jeffrey
December 7, 2012
The way they do it… its 101% dead sure that the postal vote will not be implement in the coming 13TH GE… But no worries… 13th will be the end of UMNO BN…that is for sure because the majority of the rakyat has already make up their mind…BN NO MORE…
glassman
December 7, 2012
so lets just forget about overseas voters . Period.