Ong Kian Ming, the MP for Serdang, reminded Mohd Hashim of a parliamentary select committee recommendation in 2011 to cater to Sabahans and Sarawakians living out of their states.

Elections to the state assembly must be held in Sarawak by June

Ong said in a statement that Mohd Hashim should take up the proposal as one of his first tasks in order to spare Sarawakians the cost of returning home to cast their votes.

He said Hashim had stated that the commission would need a budget of RM181 million, more than double the RM78m spent on the 2011 Sarawak elections because of higher costs, including those of renting vehicles and buying food.

Ong said Sarawkians living away from home would also incur higher costs to return home: airline tickets and bus or boat fares had increased as a result of the Goods and Services Tax, as well as overnight hotel stays.

He pointed out that all Malaysians living outside Malaysia and Singapore were allowed to register as postal voters at the 2013 general election, and the same option should be given to Sarawakians to cast their vote in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and at the Malaysian high commission in Singapore a few days before polling day.