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SABAH SURVEYS | Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah has urged the Electoral Commission (EC) to make special arrangements to allow Covid-19 patients to vote in Sabah state elections.
She said that while she agrees that those who tested positive for Covid-19 should not be able to vote, the EC counterpart in Indonesia had gone the extra mile to deliver the ballot boxes to hospitals to grant the right to vote.
“In Malaysia, the Perikatan Nasional government, unfortunately, is putting up barriers for voters to vote without exploring new ways to conduct elections. This is unacceptable, ”Maria said in a statement yesterday.
Defense Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced yesterday that Sabahans who have symptoms of Covid-19 or are in quarantine will be able to vote this Saturday, but those who tested positive will not be able to do so.
To facilitate this, a special voting flow will be established for those who are ill, and those in quarantine can request time to be escorted to the voting center.
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Maria said she is dismayed that Ismail and the EC did not believe it necessary to organize alternative measures for those with Covid-19 to vote.
“If alternative measures can be taken for those who are in self-quarantine, then new normal measures can be arranged to accommodate Covid-19 patients.
“For the minister to make a general statement not to allow them to vote is to deprive citizens of their rights.
“Unless and until patients say categorically that they do not want to vote because they are very ill, access to the right to vote must be given as an option and it is not for the minister or any government to make the decision for the voters about when they can vote or not, “he added.
The former Bersih president said all efforts to make such arrangements should be made in the next few days before election day.
He also encouraged Covid-19 patients who want to vote to sue the EC to demand that the special arrangements be made.
“I will definitely support such action if the EC refuses to protect this right to vote,” said Maria.
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