Rush to woo postal voters

Register now: Ling showing his Facebook page where he has posted steps voters need to take to register as a postal voter. — THOMAS YONG/The Star

YONG PENG: With just days to go for the Election Commission’s (EC) Feb 18 deadline for Malaysians abroad to register as postal voters, political parties are scrambling to reach out to as many voters as possible.

The parties are using social media or working with the Malaysian diaspora or student groups abroad to get Johor-based residents to sign up as voters in the state election.

Johor MCA Youth chief Ling Tian Soon said the party was working hard encouraging people to register as postal voters.

“We encourage every Malaysian living abroad to register as postal voters as we want them to help make a decision not just for the state but also for the sake of the country in the future,” he said.

He added that the party has posted detailed graphics on how people could register as postal voters online, which has been liked and shared by many.

“We need to engage with the voters especially the youth. For MCA, we are banking on our track record of delivering services to the people,” he added.

Johor Umno secretary Datuk Samsol Bari Jamali encouraged Malaysians in Singapore to become postal voters.

“This is their right. There is a sizeable number of voters – more than 100,000 in Singapore,” he said, adding that they should take advantage of the EC’s new improvements for postal voters.

Earlier, the EC announced that Malaysians living in four neighbouring countries would be allowed to vote as postal voters in the Johor state election. However, they will need to apply online before Feb 18.

The EC has repealed two major requirements for overseas Malaysians to qualify as postal voters. Those in southern Thailand, Singapore, Brunei and Kalimantan in Indonesia who were previously not eligible may now register to be postal voters.

Another adjustment is the removal of the requirement for the voter to have been in Malaysia for 30 days during the five-year term of the previous state assembly.

Johor PKR secretary Naim Jusri said that his party was actively engaging with voters not just in Singapore but several other countries as well.

“We are using our social media channels including posting a short video clip to get people to become postal voters. They have to act on it quickly,” he said, adding that some postal voters may not be able to return home in time, from abroad, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Johor DAP vice-chairman S. Ramakrishnan said his party was also using social platforms to reach out to voters.

He hoped that the EC would send out the ballot papers early so that they could reach Malaysia in time.

A total of 2.57 million registered voters will be casting their votes in the Johor election.