Vote buying and Foreign Voters

Since Nomination Day, I have been traveling the whole length of Peninsular Malaysia, and Sabah and Sarawak. Pakatan Rakyat is witnessing a new wave of groundswell of support that will unleash another tsunami. Even in the so-called UMNO fortress of Johor, we are seeing an unstoppable momentum building up. Last night in Segamat, over thirty thousand people came.

I have also been briefed by many Pakatan leaders and civil society leaders on what is happening on the ground. The intimidation and level of violence on Pakatan Rakyat party workers, Pemantau and civil society volunteers are increasing. Over 400 police reports have been lodged. Vote buying and bribery are rampant. BN is so worried that they will lose and are desperately bribing voters with gifts, cash and cash vouchers ranging from RM50 in Penang to RM1000 in Sabah. There is video evidence of this vote buying, and it will be released in the next few days.

In another report and analysis of the Electoral Roll which will be released very soon, there are some shocking revelations. 28,593 registered voters are designated as Indonesians, Filipinos, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis – nationalities from countries with high number of workers in Malaysia. Sabah alone has 15,907 of registered foreign voters, majority of whom are Filipinos and Indonesians. Selangor has the next highest number with 4,324 foreign voters.

The majority of these foreign voters will be voting in Sabah, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. Parliamentary constituencies with highest number of foreign voters include Silam, Kibaran, Kelabakan, Sepanggar, Putatan and Tawau.

What is even more disturbing is that 16,589 of these foreign voters are assigned with the Sabah “Kod Negeri” even though they are from Indonesia or Philippines. There are even 42 foreign voters from Philippines, Indonesia and Pakistan in the Army and Police registered as “Pengundi Pos”.

The Election Commission must clarify immediately the existence of these thousands of foreign voters in the Electoral Roll and why these voters are designated local “Kod Negeri” in their ICs.

I feel especially strongly for voters in Sabah who are being disenfranchised by the many foreign voters in their constituencies. No doubt this is the reason why the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on Illegal Immigrants in Sabah has been delayed until after the elections.

Sabahans and Malaysians in general are being cheated of their democratic choice. BN is still dragging its feet on how to fix the ‘Project IC’ problem it has created. For Pakatan Rakyat it is clear, we will order the Election Commission to clean up the electoral roll within our first 100 days in government.

I urge all legitimate voters to come out on 5th May and cast your votes. Do not let those who have corrupted our electoral system steal democracy from you. We must protect our rights as Malaysians.

ANWAR IBRAHIM