KUALA LUMPUR: The implementation of the Optical Character Recognition-Voters Attendance (OCR-VA) technology is a continuous step by the Election Commission (EC) to modernise the management of elections in Malaysia.
EC secretary Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus said the system can reduce operational costs and save time as it allows voter attendance data to be monitored in real time, unlike the manual method used previously.
“When we examine the current practices, there are many things we can improve, especially when we look at the challenges of recruiting staff and the rising costs.
"So we believe that OCR-VA, if it is suitable, can have a positive impact in reducing costs and facilitating the overall management of elections in Malaysia," he said
Khairul Shahril said the system had been tested at one polling centre during the Negri Sembilan polls, and the pilot project will be expanded statewide for the upcoming Melaka polls.
He also said that the system does not change the election process, including the vote counting process, but only modernises the method of checking and registering voter attendance at polling centres.
“What OCR-VA is doing is the same as what is being practised in every election, where there are party agents and staff at polling centres who are given voter registration books to check voter attendance.
“With OCR-VA, that process has been digitised,” he explained, adding that the system’s main purpose was to enable voter attendance to be recorded more efficiently and systematically.
Regarding the aspect of personal data and integrity, Khairul Shahril said that the security of voter information is guaranteed and can be further tightened through electronic processing compared to physical or manual methods.
As the project is still in the pilot stage, the commission will maintain the use of two systems (OCR-VA and manual) in the Melaka state elections. – Bernama
