GE15: EC bans mobile phone at ballot box

SHAH ALAM: No mobile phones allowed at the polling centre for the 15th General Election ( GE15). An infographic uploaded by the Election Commission ( EC) to their Facebook page yesterday stated that voters would need to leave their mobile phones at the polling centre monitor's table, before stepping into the ballot box.

This was among the 10 instructions given on the EC's page, that voters would need to obey during polling day on Nov 19.

The instruction comes after Pejuang chairman Tun Mahathir Mohamed had called for mobile phones to be banned at polling centres in order to prevent corruption.

“ Mobile phones can nullify the secrecy of a voter’s ballot. Parties can use this for bribery.” “ Voters can show through the mobile phone what party they have voted for and the party can pay them (for voting),” Dr Mahathir opined on his Facebook account on Oct 20.

It was reported by Malaysiakini that Bersih chairperson Thomas Fann welcomed the move.

“ We are glad that the EC has taken this action to ban the usage of mobile phones when voting, as those who are ‘buying’ votes require those who are ‘selling’ their votes to take a snap of their ballots after they have marked it as proof.

“Besides, it is an offence under Section 3 of the Election Offences Act to show your marked ballot since voting is secret. You can be jailed for up to two years or fined up to RM5,000 or both,” Fann was reported as saying.

The sixth step in the infographic revealed that voters are required to hand over their mobile phone to the head of polling centre after receiving their ballot paper. After casting their ballot, voters may return to the polling centre chief's desk to retrieve their phone.