E-voting can boost voter turnout - Political analyst
The e-voting method will also make it easier for those working or living outside Klang Valley and those residing abroad to fulfill their responsibility to vote without needing to return to their hometowns.
SHAH ALAM - The implementation of the e-voting or online voting system has the potential to increase voter turnout from the current 60 to 75 per cent to over 90 per cent in the future.
Political analyst Dr G. Manimaran said the use of e-voting was also expected to save on election management and operational costs, which could exceed RM1.3 billion during the 16th General Election (GE16).
He predicted that the cost may rise further if state elections in Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan were not held concurrently with GE16, increasing the use of public and taxpayer funds.
Therefore, he said the government must consider new methods, including e-voting to reduce election management costs and provide the people with an easier, faster alternative to vote without having to spend a lot.
"The e-voting method will also make it easier for those working or living outside the Klang Valley, as well as those residing abroad to fulfill their responsibility of electing their representatives without needing to return to their hometowns.
"This approach also helps reduce expenses for voters from Sabah, Sarawak or Peninsular Malaysia who live in Northern Borneo, as they no longer need to purchase return flight tickets for every election in their respective areas," he told Sinar.
Manimaran added that the proposal for e-voting was not new, as it was previously raised in the Electoral Reform Committee (ERC) report submitted to then-Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in August 2020.
He emphasised that the Election Commission (EC) and the current government needed political will to implement the e-voting method, as over 50 per cent of the 22 million voters in Malaysia were young and tech-savvy.
"The country could use both e-voting and manual voting platforms as an initial step towards entering a new era, although it will take time to fully transition.
"If we can use online banking and tax payment systems for daily transactions, e-voting should also be considered for implementation.
"In conclusion, it's time this aspect is thoroughly studied and implemented. Not only will it save costs, but it also offers a new approach to increase voter turnout, thus strengthening our democratic practices," he said.
However, Manimaran stressed that the EC and the government must conduct detailed studies to identify the most suitable e-voting method, considering Malaysia's geographic and socio-economic diversity.
