KUALA LUMPUR, May 22- The Election Commission (EC) today set up a special team to find out why the indelible ink used to mark voters in the 13th general election could be easily removed, said EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof.
He said the team would look into, among others, the ingredients of the ink, the Health Ministry’s conditions and how the ink was applied on the finger.
The team would also examine the outcome of tests conducted before and after the ink was brought into Malaysia, he said in a statement.
For the first time in a general election in Malaysia, the EC used the indelible ink to mark voters in the May 5 general election to prevent possible repeat voting, but received flak from political parties, electoral candidates and voters when it was learnt that the ink could be washed away easily.
Abdul Aziz said the team was expected to complete the investigation in a month. Abdul Aziz also said that the EC viewed with concern the distribution of video recordings, text and pictures on social websites and news portals and in the print media on all kinds of baseless accusations and allegations directed at the EC.
He said the allegations included claims of foreigners voting in the general election, blackouts at vote tallying centres, three ballot boxes missing from the vote-tallying centre in Putrajaya, ballot boxes airdropped from helicopters to ensure victory of certain candidates.
EC vehicles bringing ballot boxes to tallying centres to manipulate the election result, EC staff asking candidates’ agents to sign the Borang 14 (Form 14) before the counting of votes had been completed and transporting of phantom voters from Sabah and Sarawak to vote in the peninsula.
Abdul Aziz said all these allegations were baseless and were aimed at confusing the people. As such, he added, the EC had lodged a police report through its secretary, Datuk Kamaruddin Mohamed Baria, in a move to maintain its good name and integrity as an independent body under the Federal Constitution.
He also said that the EC would continue with its explanation of issues pertaining to the 13th general election, through the media and other means, to present the people with the correct information.
“The EC advises the people to filter the information that they garner from the social media. If necessary, they can contact the EC to get valid information on any issue,” he said.
– BERNAMA
