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Ballots have yet to be cast, but outrage has already been expressed following the discovery by polls reform group Bersih of serious flaws in the postal voting process.
Among the flaws are the lack of secrecy and anonymity in postal voting, and some of the voters being given two ballot papers each.
As election agents for PKR's Setiawangsa parliamentary candidate Ibrahim Yaacob found yesterday, the ballot papers given to police and military personnel come with an accompaning 'Identity Declaration Form'.
This additional form requires the personnel to enter the serial number of the ballot papers used to vote for both parliamentary and state seat candidates.
"As Form 2 will be put in the envelope together with the ballot papers to be returned for counting, it is a real concern on the part of the military and police voters that their choices will be known and that they may face retribution if they vote opposition," said PKR information chief Tian Chua at a press conference this afternoon on behalf of Bersih.
Bersih (Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections) is led by the opposition parties, and consists of non-governmental organisations and civil societies.
Win legally, lose fraudulently
While the number of postal votes differ from one constituency to another, Chua noted that postal votes for the Setiawangsa parliamentary seat make up a huge 26 percent of its total voters, or about 14,000 - the largest percentage of postal votes in the country.
In 2004, Lumut - which has a large naval base located in the constituency - has the highest number of postal voters at about 11,000.
Also at the press conference was PKR vice-president R Sivarasa, who said "even five percent (of total votes) is a big number and can shape the outcome" of an electoral contest.
"In other words, I can win legally and lose fraudulently because of these postal ballots," said Sivarasa, who is running for the Subang parliamentary constituency.
Another flaw discovered by Ibrahim's agents who observed the issuance of postal ballots in Setiawangsa that took place yesterday was the absence of any mechanism to ensure 'proxy voting' can be prevented.
Ibrahim's agents were allowed to observe only the issuance of postal ballots where these were placed and sealed in envelopes addressed to the individual voters at their respective army camps or police stations.
From that point onwards, it cannot be determined whether the ballot papers would get to the intended voters or that a 'third party' at the army base or police station would get them and marked the ballots on behalf of the voters, said Chua.
"In fact, allegations of proxy voting by senior military or police officers has always marred the authenticity of the electoral process in Malaysia," said Chua.
"If the integrity of these postal votes cannot be guaranteed, the (integrity) of the composition of parliament and state assemblies is immediately compromised, and the entire electoral process becomes a sham.
"This is a grave violation of the human rights of voters of Setiawangsa and elsewhere in Malaysia to choose their leaders through a clean, free, fair and transparent electoral process."
Double voting
Chua also demanded that the Election Commission look into the incidence of postal voters – whose names were distributed to the press - who had been issued two ballot papers each.
"I was there when the EC was packing voter kits for postal votes on Saturday and we spotted at least six people having two ballots each," said Setiawangsa candidate Ibrahim.
"This is voting fraud as each postal voter should have only one vote," he added.
PKR also said it had received information of other postal voters having two votes - one as postal voter and one as ordinary voter.
It gave the example of two postal voters in one parliamentary constituency who had also been registered to vote on March 8 as an ordinary voter in another parliamentary constituency.
One Hazely Razin Yaakub with the army serial number of T719756, was registered to cast his ballot for the parliamentary constituency of Tasek Gelugor in Penang, said Chua citing the EC online database.
Another Hazely Razin Yaakub, however, has also been registered to vote in the parliamentary constituency of Tumpat, Kelantan.
The same problem was discovered pertaining to another army personnel in Penang who has been registered to vote also on March 8 in Bentong, Pahang.
Disappointed but not surprising
Sivarasa criticised the EC for not making the use of indelible ink mandatory despite pronouncements earlier to do so, which would stopped possible incidences of multiple voting.
"They misled all Malaysians, not only yourselves, the voters of Malaysia and us, that they would implement the (use of) indelible ink - they also issued numerous statements about how much indelible ink would cost and they said they would buy it.
"Today, up to now, there are no instructions issued to the persons conducting the process (to use the ink) this Saturday."
Meanwhile, PKR de facto leader slammed the EC for the intransparent manner the postal ballots are being carried out.
"(We) are profoundly disappointed, though not surprised, by the latest evidence of postal voting fraud likely to be perpetuated during the upcoming elections," Anwar told AFP.
"The untransparent process of postal votes will result in seats won by opposition candidates being stolen by the ruling coalition in a blatantly fraudulent manner," he added.
Postal voting is presently restricted to military troops, policemen and teachers who are based far away from their constituencies.
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