In a joint statement with its international network arm, Global Bersih, it said EC chairman Mohd Hashim Abdullah must ensure a minimum turnaround period of 28 days for marked overseas ballots to be received and returned to the constituencies’ presiding officers.
It noted that for the 2013 general election, there were about two weeks between the dissolution of Parliament and nomination of candidates, and another two weeks between nomination and polling.
“This implies only two weeks’ turnaround time for overseas votes which is highly risky.”
Bersih and Global Bersih said the disenfranchisement of about one million Malaysians residing in Singapore, southern Thailand, Brunei and Kalimantan from the voting process was also “problematic and disappointing”.
“The EC should consider how overseas voters are credibly and swiftly enfranchised in the electoral process of our neighbours such as Indonesia and the Philippines, which deal with more overseas voters than Malaysia.
“The exclusion of these regions from the overseas voting process is arbitrary and unfair, and burdens Malaysians living in these regions by making them bear the cost of returning home to vote, not to mention having to arrange to take leave from work in order to do so.”
Last month, Bersih had hit out at the EC for using the national postal service to manage postal ballot papers from overseas for the 14th general election (GE14).
It said Wisma Putra and the foreign embassies were better equipped to coordinate the collection and return of ballots to Malaysia.
“Passing the responsibility to POS Malaysia makes no sense and only penalises overseas voters as there is no guarantee the votes will reach the polling station before 5pm on polling day,” it added.
This was after Mohd Hashim said the foreign ministry would no longer be managing the postal ballot papers.
He also said that Malaysian voters residing in southern Thailand, Singapore, Brunei and the Kalimantan province could not register as postal voters.
Although welcoming the assurances given by POS Malaysia to the EC on aspects of security and confidentiality in the handling of shipments classified as registered post procedures, Bersih and Global Bersih said they were disappointed that the cost of the returned marked ballot papers were to be borne by the voters.
Urging the EC to send the ballot papers to overseas voters with a prepaid envelope, they said permanent overseas voting procedures were also necessary as many Malaysians outside of the country were left in the dark until the last moment.
Bersih slams use of POS Malaysia to collect overseas ballots