KUALA LUMPUR – A 36-year-old voter was adamant to remain in a polling centre in Setiawangsa until closing time, claiming that she was denied the right to vote by the Election Commission (EC) today.
Aisha Adam stayed put in protest at SK Setiawangsa until late evening after she was informed by EC officials that her name had been registered as a postal voter.
“Apparently someone had registered me as a postal voter, using my residential address and phone number from 2015 without setting up a MySPR online account,” she had said in a Twitter posting this morning.
She was shocked to discover that her name was registered as a postal voter when she was studying in Australia.
Stating that she had performed her civic duty by voting in the same parliamentary area in the past two general elections, Aisha maintained that she had never applied for a postal voter facility in the MySPR postal database.
She also questioned why her MyKad details were not linked to the MySPR online account.
“What kind of standard operating procedures (SOPs) do EC have that someone can easily register me as a postal voter,” she said.
“I’m not a political candidate, not even an affiliate to one. The effort to suppress my vote is mind-blowing,” she added.
In the first few hours, in a series of tweets she vented her anger at the returning officer and other officials citing “voter’s suppression” and “data breach”.
“I have made it clear to all SPR (EC) staff here, I am angry,” she wrote.
“I understand completely their tasks and roles. I was a public servant. But I have my right! And it is being robbed of (from) me. Someone has to answer and pay for this.”
Aisha claimed that she was told at the polling centre to report the matter to the EC director.
She took the EC official there to task for asking her to contact their superior for a solution.
“I will not leave until they give me a solution,” she said “Why should I seek to meet him? Ask the EC director to come down here.”
However, she also realised that it was pointless to put the blame on the officials at the polling centre.
“But I am not angry at them – I am angry at the system,” she said, stressing that there was “gross violation” of her personal data and democratic rights.
“I understand their limitation which is why I demanded that their boss come down and solve this!” she tweeted.
She later wrote that she has lodged a report at Setiawangsa police station today after the polling centre has closed, and will follow up with the Wangsa Maju district police in Pudu later tonight.
Baru selesai membuat laporan polis. Rupanya saya tidak keseorangan. Syabas kepada semua yang membuat laporan polis atas halangan-halangan yg dihadapi untuk mengundi hari ini. Andalah nadi demokrasi negara ini. Hidup Rakyat! pic.twitter.com/clnBCnkHHP
— Aisha Ocasionalmente Corta AOC (@aisha_adam) November 19, 2022
The Vibes is seeking clarification from EC and police at press time. – The Vibes, November 19, 2022
