THE CICAK.com

How to vote: Picture guide for first-time Malaysian voters

By WONG CHIN HUAT

For those who have never cast a ballot, here’s a a guide. The photos are from the 2004 general elections.

Step 1: When you arrive at a polling station, which is usually a school, you will most probably be led to the election council booth to check your polling stream. This does not happen if you live in a very small polling district (with only a few hundred electorates), which has only one stream.

Step 2: You will then proceed to your polling stream, which is usually a class room. There will likely be a queue.

Step 3: At the polling stream, a clerk will ask for your NRIC, check your name on electoral roll, read out your name and NRIC number, and cross out your name on his or her electoral roll.

Step 4: When your name is read out, the presiding officer (namely the one in-charge of the polling stream) and the parties’ polling agents will also cross out your name on their electoral rolls.

Step 5: The ballot will be perforated or stamped before it is given to you.

(In the past, a clerk would mark your number on the counterfoil ballot. That practice worried many people as they were concerned that their choices were not secret.

The fear was unfounded as all ballots were sealed after they were counted and destroyed six months after the election.

In any case, the by-law was amended after the 2006 Sarawak state elections. Marking the counterfoil is no longer practiced. Protest if the clerk that attends to you jots down your number. But don’t over-react. He or she might simply not know of the changes.)

Pay attention to ensure that no extra ballot is torn out by the clerk. He or she might make mistakes if names are called out faster than he or she can handle.

Step 6: You will bring the ballots (the yellow one is for the parliamentary contest, and the white one for the state contest) to the polling booth. Make sure no one is watching you. You may protest if you feel the secrecy of your right has been compromised.

Step 7: You will then cast your marked ballots into the respective ballot boxes. Another clerk may be standing there to ensure the ballots are properly cast into the boxes. Don’t worry, he or she will not know your choice.

And that’s it! You have now exercised your right as a boss to the government.

You may now go home. In the mean time, keep a watchful eye on your chosen representative.

–
WONG CHIN HUAT is a contributor for theCICAK. Visit his site.