Lee Chean Chung, the MP for Petaling Jaya, said there were an estimated 400,000 Sabahans currently working in the peninsula, and that it was important to ensure that they can easily participate in the democratic process.

“400,000 voters is not a small number. The government and the EC should give serious attention to their rights and allow them to register as postal voters,” he said in a statement today.

Noting that postal voting was already available for Sabahans living abroad, he asked why similar provisions could not be extended to those in the country.

He said the EC must ensure that any voting system is implemented effectively and carefully, and that late ballot papers defeated the goal of the system.

“Ballot papers must be received and returned before polling day. If ballot papers arrive late, then the implementation of the system will be meaningless,” he said.

Earlier this year, Sabah PKR chairman Mustapha Sakmud called on the EC to allow postal voting for Sabahans living outside the state.

He cited the precedent set during the 15th general election, when postal voting was extended to Malaysians in Singapore and southern Thailand, saying that logistical challenges and high costs prevented many from returning home to vote.

In 2022, it was reported that the EC had no plans to expand postal voting for East Malaysian voters residing in Peninsular Malaysia.