RELOCATING VOTERS BY INDUCEMENT IS AN OFFENCE

 

 

KOTA KINABALU, October 6, 2012: The Election Commission (EC) has warned that any attempt to relocate the voters to any constituency by inducement is an offence under the election regulations.

Issuing the terse warning was its Sabah branch chairman Datuk Hj Mohd Idrus Bin Ismail, during a courtesy call by Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Api-Api Central Liaison Committee (CLC) led by its Chairman Datuk Wong Yit Ming, today.

Mohd Idrus was responding to an official complaint filed by Wong on the recent voters registration drive allegedly organized by Sabah Deputy chief Minister cum Api-Api State assemblyman Datuk Dr. Yee Moh Chai, suspected to be a ploy to import new Bumiputra voters into Api-Api constituency.

Wong and his delegation also handed over a copy of the police reports and the relevant photos taken at the scene of the said registration exercise, to Mohd Idrus to substantiate their claim of the dubious incident.

The said the registration exercise was conducted at Likas Square Complex, in Likas here, more than a week ago. SAPP Youth members, who rushed to the scene upon been tipped off about the registration exercise, uncovered several discrepancies in the registration method as well as the targeted group identified as new voters.

The SAPP Youth members also discovered that most of the voters were found to be originally from Pitas, Kudat, although some of them are currently residing in Taman Bukit Keramat here.

They also claimed that when asked the rationale behind the registration of Taman Bukit Keramat residents at the complex, the EC officials on duty explained that the exercise was on the instructions of Yee.

They (SAPP Youth members) also said they were told that those who registered as voters received a payment of RM200.

Mohd Idrus also agreed that the location where the group of registered voters was purportedly from - Taman Bukit Keramat, has no housing. There are only three old detached houses in that particular area with only one house is occupied and the other two are empty.

Mohd Idrus also mentioned that since this was the case, therefore the transfer of the new voters to Api-Api constituency from that area will not be registered.

Meanwhile, Wong warned Dr Yee not to attempt to change the voters demographics of the predominantly Chinese Api-Api constituency, by illegally importing Bumiputra voters into the constituency. The constituency currently consists of about 80% Chinese voters.

Wong said the objective of such dubious exercise appears to be to increase the number of Bumiputera voters in Api-Api and reduce the Chinese community's influence in an election.

He reiterated that many of those registered under the ongoing exercise are from Kudat.

Describing it as a desperate and unethical act, Wong said Yee had resorted to this as he realizes that Chinese voters may not support the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, and he (Yee) may be shown the exit in the coming general election. (SAPP)