Bersih submits report on electoral roll discrepancies

PUTRAJAYA: The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) has submitted a report to the Election Commission (EC) over 80 public complaints on the electoral roll received by the election watchdog since Parliament was dissolved on April 7.
Questioning the integrity of the electoral roll, its steering committee said complaints included voters who have been moved to another constituency without their knowledge; names removed from the electoral roll and those who have never registered but whose names appear on the electoral roll among others.
"These complaints have been independently verified by Bersih 2.0 by cross-checking the current and older versions of the electoral roll.
"We demand the EC to explain these discrepancies and take urgent action to protect the integrity of the electoral roll before May 9 (polling day)," it said in a statement, yesterday after Bersih acting chairman Shahrul Aman Mohd Saari handed over the report to the EC at its headquarters, here.
The committee said the EC should also provide a written explanation and action taken to rectify the problems to each of these complainants.
"Bersih 2.0 is especially alarmed by the high number of complaints received from Malaysians staying overseas who have been registered without their consent and those transferred to distant constituencies without their knowledge.
"It raises serious questions over the registration process and the motivations of those who registered these people who are unlikely to be present to vote on polling day.
"It is shameful that some voters will now be unable to cast their ballots in their home constituency due to the EC's failure to address basic issues with the electoral roll before the general election," the committee said.
Bersih 2.0 calls on all voters who faced similar problems to come forward and submit their complaints to the EC without further delay.
"Complainants should also supply a copy of their complaints to aduan.pemantau.org to enable Bersih 2.0 to assess the seriousness of the problems associated with the electoral roll nationwide," it added.