Kuala lumpur: The Election Commission (EC) will assess a proposal aimed at extending postal voting facilities to auxiliary police officers tasked with safeguarding the nation's strategic assets and critical infrastructure, as announced by Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M. Kulasegaran.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Kulasegaran emphasized that the EC's study will consider operational requirements, legal frameworks, and the implementation of the election process. He noted that while current regulations specify categories of voters eligible for early and postal voting, the EC has acknowledged the proposal made by Senator Datuk Salehuddin Saidin. The proposal seeks to ensure that auxiliary police officers can vote without disrupting essential government services during elections.
Kulasegaran further highlighted the importance of auxiliary police personnel transferring their voting constituencies to their current residences to facilitate easier voting. Currently, postal voting is available to three distinct voter categories: Category 1A, which includes EC members and officers, election workers, armed forces and police personnel, and media on election duty; Category 1B for Malaysian citizens residing overseas; and Category 1C for selected government department and agency staff required to work on polling day.
Senator Salehuddin, in his motion, noted that approximately 27,000 auxiliary police officers are employed across various sectors, including ministries, government agencies, government-linked companies, public transport operators, airports, ports, the energy and utilities sectors, financial institutions, and the oil and gas industry. He pointed out that auxiliary police officers are currently excluded from early or postal voting, unlike other security personnel, potentially impacting their ability to vote if they cannot secure leave on polling day. He warned that allowing all officers to take leave simultaneously could jeopardize the security of strategic facilities.
Salehuddin proposed that the government, alongside the EC, the Home Ministry, and relevant agencies, embark on a comprehensive study to enable auxiliary police officers on duty to vote early or by post, which may require amending the Election (Registration of Electors) Regulations 1981.
Additionally, Dewan Negara president Datuk Awang Bemee Awang Ali Basah remarked that the motion concerning a government administrative matter was the first debated during the Adjournment Speech session since the procedure's introduction in 2022 under the Senate's Standing Order 16. Another motion presented by Senator Datuk Phoong Jin Zhe addressed the impact of extreme cross-border e-commerce pricing by platforms like Pinduoduo and Temu on Malaysia's micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and the retail sector. The Dewan Negara session will continue tomorrow.