Kota Kinabalu: Federation of Chinese Associations Sabah (FCAS) President Tan Sri T.C Goh said the EC owed the public and the State Government a good explanation on the drastic increase in the number of Sabah voters, from 1,064,686 in GE14 in 2018 to 1,638,806 for GE15.
He said it was not surprising that many are questioning the drastic surge, citing the issue of ‘phantom voters’ which existed in the past, and had plagued the state for decades.
“After the implementation of automatic voter registration and the lowering of the voting age from 21 to 18, various states in the country, Sabah included, have experienced an increase in the number of voters.
“The number of Sabah voters too has increased from 1,064,686 voters in GE14 in 2018 to 1,638,806 voters this year for GE15.
“In the case of Sabah, the drastic increase in the number of voters could be due to extraneous factors, other than the automatic registration of those 18-years-old new voters, and it warrants a proper clarification by the EC,” Goh said in a statement.
Goh who is also President of The Federation of Sabah and Labuan Hokkien Associations (FSLHA) also welcomed and supported the demand of the state government and various political parties, demanding the EC to immediately clarify over the said issue.
He also reiterated that the EC should make it easier for the public and the various political parties to scrutinise the electoral roll.
“While it was logical for the number of voters to increase, following the implementation of the automatic registration of voters upon reaching 18 years old, it is important for the EC to ensure that these newly-registered voters are indeed bona fide Sabahans.
He said, this is only appropriate in view of the fact that Sabah has had a long history of been plagued by the perennial issue of ‘phantom voters’, in the past.
“Hence, it is the fervent hope of the people of Sabah that the coming GE15 could be held in a transparent and fair manner,” Goh said.
