KUALA LUMPUR – The UndiBanjir 2022 initiative to raise funds for voters needing financial aid to travel back to their constituencies on polling day has so far raised less than RM10,000.
Spokesman for the group, Alzari “Joey” Mahshar, said funds coming in are a bit “slow” since the initiative launched about a week ago, before the polling date on November 19 was announced.
“Maybe after all the parties announce their candidates, the ‘heat’ will pick up,” he told The Vibes. Nomination day falls on November 5.
Alzari said most requests for aid so far have been from students at public universities.
With the polling date fixed, Alzari noted that UndiBanjir 2022 has less than a month left to raise funds.
Within hours after the Election Commission’s announcement of GE15 dates last Thursday, people began complaining on social media about skyrocketing flight tickets for domestic travel before and after polling day on November 19.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong has said the Malaysian Aviation Commission will be monitoring for arbitrary price hikes.
UndiBanjir 2022 is a rebranding of the same initiative in the 2018 election called UndiRabu, in reference to the mid-week polling day for the 14th general election (GE14) that year.
Around RM200,000 was raised for GE14 and was used to help more than 3,000 Malaysians with subsidised travel to their voting constituencies.
Alzari has said UndiBanjir will prioritise giving help to youth, first-time voters and university students, as GE15 will be the first election in which those aged 18-20 are allowed to vote.
Even if the initiative this time cannot beat the amount raised by UndiRabu in 2018, he said he and other group members are still helping Malaysians in need cast their ballots.
I don’t think we can surpass the RM200,000 during the last election period, as the landscape is totally different (this time).
“However, we will do the most we can,” he added.
Those wishing to donate can fill up this form.
Those needing financial help for their travel back home to vote can fill up another form. – The Vibes, October 24, 2022
