PETALING JAYA, 9 May: The actions of the police in preventing candidates’ agents from monitoring the early voting which was in custody of the police is being questioned by PKR who claims that the actions were very suspicious.
This is because the Election Commission (EC) previously allowed the candidate’s agents to take care and monitor the ballot boxes for 24 hours, from the time voters casts their votes to the polling day on 5 May.
The disclosure is among the latest regarding suspicious incidents throughout the voting process of the GE-13 which is claimed to mar the GE-13 results.
According to Kuantan MP, Fauziah Salleh, the early voting was done five days before the public voting on 5 May. The initial ballot papers were kept at the police station.
“Five days from that day, as promised by the EC Chairman, all candidate agents can view (and) take care of the ballot boxes for 24 hours for five days.
“But this was not allowed by the station chief or the OCPD (District Police Chief),” said Fauziah in a press conference yesterday.
Also inviting questions is the reason why the early voting ballot boxes were locked together with the indelible ink and ballot papers.
“In one cell was the permanent, ballot papers and early voting ballot boxes. So when it was opened to remove the indelible ink and the ballot papers, the ballot boxes could have been switched during that time.”
He claimed to have gone to a station in Kuantan after obtaining information that the EC would be opening the lockup where the early voting ballot boxes were held.
However, Fauziah was detained by the police and not allowed to enter.
“They did not allow me to witness the cell being opened. The question is, what was being protected by the police?
“Why were candidates not allowed to witness the cell being opened? Because at the time, the ballot boxes were very insecure.”
Such incidences have been understood to have occurred throughout Malaysia.
Through early vote tallies, Pakatan Rakyat only obtained 10% compared to 20-30 percent in 2008.
“Here we saw that it was an organised effort. The EC put on theatrics when we asked to monitor for 24 hours.
“When I asked for written instructions, the EC did not issue the written instructions.
“Finally, the EC authorised the police to use their full power as the head of the station to disallow candidates, their representatives and agents to even be close to the ballot boxes.”
At the same press conference, Batu MP, Tian Chua claimed that all closed-circuit cameras at the police stations involved in the early polling were removed.
Tian questioned the matter and is worried that the move was to avoid these cases from being taken to court.