The deputy head of PKR Wanita, Haniza Talha, noted that countries such as Britain and Germany had stopped using the e-voting system because there was no possibility of recalculation to be made in the event of any doubtful decision.
She also questioned whether there was sufficient internet access or stable WiFi reception in areas like Sabah and Sarawak, and whether votes cast by members could end up in a “black hole”.
Haniza said the transparency of data collection and analysis could also be disputed as not everyone is proficient in IT.
PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said last month that an “e-voting” system would be used for the party elections between August and September.
All party members would be allowed to vote, making PKR the only political party with leaders directly elected by members.
Negeri Sembilan PKR chairman Aminuddin Harun said the e-voting would be good for party members because the goal was to avoid manipulation during the voting process.
“However, the application or the software used should be fully tested to ensure that it runs smoothly without any problems,” said Aminuddin, who is also Negeri Sembilan menteri besar.
The election committee should be transparent about appointing outside observers to monitor the election process, as PKR is vocal in taking up issues on democracy and reform.
Kedah PKR chairman Azman Ismail was cautious about e-voting, as problems might arise from the quality of the internet service available to members.
“We will try to find ways to overcome the problem, for example by transferring voting stations to areas with more stable internet speeds. This is important because some of our members demand transparency,” he said.
Saifuddin was not reachable for clarification about preparations for the e-voting system.