E-voting must guarantee transparency, safeguarded against manipulation

SHAH ALAM - The Election Commission (EC) could introduce an online voting system or e-voting if the government can guarantee that the method is truly transparent and cannot be manipulated for the political benefit of any particular group.

Shah Alam MP Azli Yusof said he agreed with the idea if the government wanted to implement an e-voting system to improve and transform the electoral process in Malaysia, making it easier for the public to vote in the future.

He said the use of e-voting would not only provide a new alternative for voters but it was also in line with the rapid development of information technology and artificial intelligence (AI), which was increasingly gaining traction among Malaysians.

However, Azli said before implementing the e-voting method, the EC should ensure that the system was stable and secure from hacking or manipulation by any parties.

"Therefore, I hope that the EC and the government will implement a pilot project for e-voting in several by-elections and state elections before it is widely applied in the upcoming general elections.

"This step is necessary to ensure that the e-voting system saves time and costs and results cannot be questioned by any parties, whether from the ruling government or the opposition," he told Sinar.

Bersatu Supreme Council Member Dr Mohd Yadzil Yaakub expressed support for a transparent e-voting system, saying it could boost voter turnout in the next general election and help cut the growing costs of election management.

He said this step was essential because the current manual voting method used by the EC raised various concerns, including allegations of voter list manipulation, the transfer of voters without consent and the existence of phantom voters.

"The question is, will the use of e-voting enhance transparency, prevent manipulation of the voter registry and stop phantom voters from voting, or is it just about reducing costs by cutting down on paper purchases and election workers?

"Therefore, I propose that the EC and the government use a biometric system, such as fingerprint verification, before voters access the e-voting system and select their preferred candidates to increase transparency and prevent manipulation," he added.

He also emphasised that the government and the EC needed to conduct a detailed study before implementing an e-voting, as it involved high costs for developing the voting system, providing internet servers and hiring staff.