Putra Jaya: About half a million of Malaysia's 10 million registered voters are dead, the country's top election official said on Friday, but denied opposition claims that this had led to electoral fraud.The comments by Election Commission Chairman Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman came a day after two major opposition parties said they would boycott an upcoming by-election because of doubtful voter lists and a lack of transparency in the poll process.
"When you talk about the dead on the rolls, I admit there are a lot," Rashid said.
"I believe that five per cent of those on the voters' list are dead," he said.
"That's why we are going from village to village to verify the dead."
He blamed the problem on poor data collection, archaic election laws and bureaucratic red-tape. Malaysia, with 26 million people, has some 10.3 million registered voters.
In one case, a woman voter who died in 1975 at the age of 77 was still listed on the 2006 rolls, local media have reported.
The dead are not the only problem for Rashid. The living are also posing a headache, with some 4.5 million Malaysians yet to sign up as voters, he said.
On Thursday, Islamic party PAS and Parti Keadilan said they would walk out of a Jan 28 by-election in Pahang because of doubtful electoral rolls.
"The boycott is meant for us to send a clear signal to the government that we are serious about election reforms," said Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS) deputy chief Nasharuddin Mat Isa.
He said the party found discrepancies in the voters' list for the Batu Talam constituency in Pahang, a state where the party traditionally has little support.
Rashid denounced the parties' decision to shun the polls, calling it silly.
"I think it's a rather stupid move not to contest. What are you trying to prove?" the election chief said. "You are not even an alternative to Barisan Nasional in terms of strength, ability and organisation."
The Barisan Nasional coalition, led by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, has ruled the country since independence from Britain since 1957.- Reuters
