KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government and its federal counterparts must hold immediate discussions to enable Sabahans residing in Peninsular Malaysia to fulfil their voting responsibilities in the upcoming 16th General Election (GE16) without having to return to their home state.
Parti Warisan’s Chin Tek Ming, who is also Kapayan assemblyman, said that many Sabahans including those working or studying in the peninsula, want to exercise their voting rights during the general election but are constrained by high travel costs and work commitments.
“Airfares and land transportation costs are expensive, and employers' reluctance to grant at least three working days of leave are major obstacles for them to return and vote,” he said.
“The state government must ensure that the rights of Sabahans to determine both the state and federal governments are prioritised by enabling them to vote in their respective constituencies from Peninsular Malaysia,” he added.
He also compared the situation with practices in neighbouring countries.
“If the Indonesian government can allow its citizens to vote overseas, including in Sabah, surely the Sabah state and federal governments are capable of implementing a similar method for Sabahans in Peninsular Malaysia,” Chin added.
Chin said that he would raise the matter at the next state assembly meeting and hopes that parties within the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition government would also support the call.
