KUALA LUMPUR: Postal ballot papers being received late, wrong mailing addresses used and voter details that did not tally with the ballots sent are among some of the issues an electoral advocacy group has highlighted from the recent Johor state election.

       “We received complaints of ballot papers reaching voters late, resulting in the votes not being guaranteed to reach Malaysia in time,” Undi Johor said in a statement on Friday (March 18).

       “There were complaints of the ballot being mailed to the wrong address as well as the names and identity card numbers (differing) from the information provided by registered voters,” it added.

       Undi Johor said the Election Commission (EC) should take full responsibility for such issues faced by voters as it constituted a failure to uphold the voting rights of those eligible.

       “This is denying democratic rights of those who could not come out and vote due to being Covid-19-positive or in quarantine.

       “We urge (EC) to re-examine the issues and call for the postal voting process to be conducted at Malaysian embassies abroad (in future),” the statement said.

       The group also said more advocacy work could have been carried out to raise awareness among new voters, especially those who just turned 18 and first-timers, ahead of the Johor election.

       “Our survey found that many youths did not know that they could now vote, as well as the right channels for voting,” the statement read.

       It said the EC could have done more to spread awareness among this group of voters.

       Undi Johor further hoped that the EC would step up voter education advocacy throughout the country to ensure a better turnout at elections.

       On its Ops Undi Johor initiative launched on Feb 11 to help voters living outside the state, the group said 3,700 postal votes were brought in from Singapore, collected with the help of 35 volunteers in Malaysia and 39 in Singapore.

       “Ops Undi Johor carried out similar initiatives in the United Kingdom in collaboration with university students as well.

       “The constituencies with the highest postal vote collections were Puteri Wangsa (291), Mengkibol (253) and Perling (238).

       “We gave out voting subsidy assistance of RM5,450 to those based outside Johor consisting of students and young people,” the group said.

       Undi18 co-founder Qyira Yusri said the campaign was focused on two aspects, the first being to facilitate the transport of postal votes from Singapore.

       The second was the Pulang Mengundi fund to subsidise transport costs for students and youths returning to Johor to vote.

       Barisan Nasional won 40 out of 56 seats in the state assembly in the March 12 polls.