Election Commission Scrapped its Plan to Use Indelible Ink for 12th General Election

Major newspapers in Malaysia today reported that Election Commission (EC) has scrapped its plan to use indelible ink for the 12th General Election this 8th March.

The Star reported that EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said police investigations revealed that people had smuggled the ink in and had planned to go to rural and remote areas to trick village folk into believing that their fingernails had to be marked before they can go to vote.

He said: "They are out to create confusion and suspicion by persuading those not familiar with the procedure to have the ink applied (to a voter’s forefinger or nail) before polling day. “The EC views these issues seriously as the election process and public order and security cannot be compromised."

However, he stressed that political pressure had been exerted on the EC to cancel the use of the ink, and added that the EC had to examine the other laws and regulations first.


New Straits Times reported the same thing. EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman had announced that indelible ink will not be used on polling day as security of the method of preventing multiple voting had been breached. The decision was made after four police reports were lodged on the smuggling of the ink, two in Perlis and one each in Kedah and Kelantan.


Meanwhile, Kelantan Menteri Besar and Pas spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat went as far as to accuse the Election Commission of backing certain parties to allow their supporters to vote more than once.

"They want their voters to cast their ballots twice, 10, 15 times...that is why they cancelled it (use of ink). This is extremely disappointing."

He accused the EC of not being transparent and not having the will to curb electoral cheating.

Nik Aziz urged Pas supporters to accept the decision calmly and not to be react by taking their anger to the streets.

"Stay calm, stay out of trouble. If there is (trouble), they are not caused by our (Pas) supporters," he told reporters after receiving the "Anugerah Amanah Gerak" award by anti-corruption non-governmental organisation Gerak at his office here. The award honours him as Malaysia's most responsible and trustworthy political leader.

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To me, this is a mockery of the promises made by the Election Commission about their readiness to co-operate in making the 12th GE a clean, free & fair election. Calls made by BERSIH (Coalition for Free, Fair & Clean Election) to ask the EC, among others , the use of indelible ink to minimise the chances of phantom voters is finally not being heard.

For the record, Before the date of election was called by Prime Minister, EC has pledged that they will import indelible ink, which cost around 2.4mil to provide assurance that the election will be conducted in a transparent manner.

I think it is a bit too coincidental that the plan is scrapped just days before the election date. Whilst we may only wonder why it is done at such a time, perhaps it is better to ask ourselves, "Who benefit most from this decision?"