Indelible Ink To Be Used During Coming GE 

By Erna Mohd Yusof

KUALA LUMPUR: The use of indelible ink during the elections is once again being questioned when it is said to be the cause of people refusing to vote despite theNational Fatwa Council’s confirmation that the use is allowed.

“The reason brought up could be issued by any party as a motion to stop from the indelible ink to be used,” said Member of Parliament for Kubang Kerian, Salahuddin Ayub, when asked by The Malaysian journalists Times today.

The motion for the use of indelible ink to be used during the general election were among the motions put forward by the opposition during the Bersih gathering since 2007. The Election Commision (EC) has however validated that it would be used during the coming 13th General Election (13th GE).

“The EC has agreed to implement the use of indelible ink during the coming general election.

“For this purpose, the EC has amended the Election Regulations (Conduct of Elections)(Amendment) Act 2012 which provides the use of indelible ink during the normal course of voting as gazetted on February 13 and became effective on February 15, ” said EC chairman Tan Sri Dato ‘ Seri Abdul Aziz bin Mohd Yusof in a press statement issued on April 19.

The semi-permanent state of the indelible ink is said to be able to prevent ‘phantom voters’.

“The indelible ink has been proven as the best way to prevent cheating during elections in foreign countries. So far, countries which are using this ink are not facing any problems,” commented Salahuddin.

The indelible ink controversy began when Parliament rejected the application for the ink to be used during the 12th GE in 2008. This had caused the government a loss of about five million ringgit.

However in Dec, 2011, the Dewan Rakyat had finally agreed to the use of the ink and was tabled by the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) for Electoral Reforms. Feedbacks from various scientists, the Fatwa authority and the EC were gathered before its implementation- TMT