18.02.2012
A Malaysian electoral reform group on Friday urged Prime
Minister Najib Razak to clean up the electoral roll after an audit indicated
possibly large numbers of dubious voter registrations.
Bersih 2.0 issued a statement calling the revelations "shocking" and said the questionable voter records could tip the balance in a coming election widely expected to be close and hard-fought.
"Bersih 2.0 strongly urges (Najib) to clean up the electoral roll," ahead of general elections widely expected to be held within months, a statement by the group said.
Bersih 2.0 said the audit found a "sudden increase" of up to 35 percent in the number of registered voters in some districts.
The audit also found 820 cases in which more than 100 voters were registered at the same address, and 1,259 locations with 51-100 people registered, said Anthony Loke, a member of a parliamentary panel on electoral reform.
The audit was conducted by a company tasked by the panel with vetting the electoral roll.
However, Loke, a member of the opposition, said the panel had asked the auditor for clarification, noting that some of the "questionable" sites could be military bases or other locations where large numbers of people reside at a single address.
Bersih 2.0 has spearheaded a push for reform of an electoral system that critics say is rife with abuse aimed at favouring the long-ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.
In July, it brought tens of thousands onto the streets for a clean-elections rally that was forcibly broken up by police. "Bersih" means "clean" in Malay.
Facing a backlash over the harsh government response, Najib established the parliamentary panel in October to explore protesters' demands.
Speculation is growing that Najib will call elections within months, and the polls could prove pivotal after 2008 elections saw historic opposition gains.
Bersih said large numbers of bogus voters "could have a major impact on the election results."
"These developments are unacceptable and both the Election Commission and the Parliamentary Select Committee for Electoral Reform should immediately address these concerns," it said.
An official with the Election Commission could not immediately comment.
Bersih 2.0 issued a statement calling the revelations "shocking" and said the questionable voter records could tip the balance in a coming election widely expected to be close and hard-fought.
"Bersih 2.0 strongly urges (Najib) to clean up the electoral roll," ahead of general elections widely expected to be held within months, a statement by the group said.
Bersih 2.0 said the audit found a "sudden increase" of up to 35 percent in the number of registered voters in some districts.
The audit also found 820 cases in which more than 100 voters were registered at the same address, and 1,259 locations with 51-100 people registered, said Anthony Loke, a member of a parliamentary panel on electoral reform.
The audit was conducted by a company tasked by the panel with vetting the electoral roll.
However, Loke, a member of the opposition, said the panel had asked the auditor for clarification, noting that some of the "questionable" sites could be military bases or other locations where large numbers of people reside at a single address.
Bersih 2.0 has spearheaded a push for reform of an electoral system that critics say is rife with abuse aimed at favouring the long-ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.
In July, it brought tens of thousands onto the streets for a clean-elections rally that was forcibly broken up by police. "Bersih" means "clean" in Malay.
Facing a backlash over the harsh government response, Najib established the parliamentary panel in October to explore protesters' demands.
Speculation is growing that Najib will call elections within months, and the polls could prove pivotal after 2008 elections saw historic opposition gains.
Bersih said large numbers of bogus voters "could have a major impact on the election results."
"These developments are unacceptable and both the Election Commission and the Parliamentary Select Committee for Electoral Reform should immediately address these concerns," it said.
An official with the Election Commission could not immediately comment.
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