KUALA LUMPUR: Global Bersih and Bersih have urged the authorities to make critical reforms to address a sharp decline in overseas voting.
The groups pointed to an 86.6% drop in Category 1B postal ballots issued to overseas Malaysians for the Johor state election on July 11, falling from 7,814 in 2022 to 1,044 in 2026.
"The share of overseas Malaysians among all postal voters also fell from 21.2% to 4.2%,” the groups said in a statement on Wednesday (Aug 12).
In the Aug 1 Negri Sembilan state polls, Category 1B postal votes accounted for just 3% of all postal votes, even with an increase from 159 postal voters in 2023 to 343.
The groups said these low numbers should not be interpreted as evidence that Malaysians overseas no longer care about voting.
"It highlights weaknesses in voter education, mobilisation, election timelines, official communication and institutional support.”
"Overseas postal voting is not automatic. Voters must know when applications open, access MySPR, apply within the required period, understand the procedures, receive and correctly complete their ballot and supporting documents and return them to Malaysia before the deadline.
"Without clear and repeated communication, eligible voters can easily miss one or more of these steps," the statement said.
They added that the government and the Election Commission (EC) must do the heavy lifting to educate and mobilise voters overseas, rather than rely on civil society organisations to get eligible overseas Malaysians the information and means to exercise their voting rights.
"They (civil societies) should be partners, not a substitute for the state.
"The EC must lead on election administration, including ensuring a workable system, while Wisma Putra and Malaysian foreign missions must provide structured and sustained support in
educating Malaysians overseas," it said.
"The Johor and Negri Sembilan elections should be treated as an early warning ahead of the next general election.
"A Malaysian citizen’s ability to exercise the right to vote should not depend on where they live or on whether civil society organisations have sufficient resources during a particular election.
"We call on the EC to work with relevant stakeholders, establish a clear timetable for reform and ensure that improvements are in place before the next General Election.
"While civil societies and the Malaysian diaspora can be partners, the responsibility for making overseas voting accessible and workable must ultimately rest with Malaysia’s public institutions," they said.
