In a joint statement endorsed by 15 CSOs, they said that more than 200,000 Sabahans living outside the state – about 12.7% of the electorate – risk being disenfranchised if postal voting is not introduced.
They argued that voting should be a right accorded to all citizens, not a privilege reserved for those who can afford to travel.
In singling out eight major coalitions and parties, namely Warisan, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), Sabah STAR, Barisan Nasional, Perikatan Nasional, Parti KDM, Upko and Pakatan Harapan, the coalition urged them to clarify their positions on the issue and include postal voting in their manifestos.
These parties are fielding 348 candidates in the upcoming state election.
In a joint statement, the CSOs said their fight for postal voting rights in GE16 was a matter of justice and equal representation.
They highlighted that since the 1969 General Election, Sabahans studying or working outside the state have been effectively excluded from voting unless they could afford to return home.
They also noted that voter turnout in Sabah has consistently lagged behind the national average, citing GE15, where turnout was 74.7% nationwide but only 64.4% in Sabah.
Earlier this year, CSOs and student groups had urged the Election Commission (EC) to extend postal voting to 40,000-50,000 Sabahan students in public universities outside the state.
Demonstrations by Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) students followed, but the EC did not act on these appeals.
The statement also urged Sarawakians to demand similar rights ahead of their state election, due by April 2027, warning that without reform, thousands would continue to be excluded simply because they could not afford flights home.
