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“One bed, two constituencies” because Election Commission “separated” husband and wife, Tribunal told

by V. Anbalagan and Jennifer Gomez
The Malaysian Insider
September 21, 2013

A couple that lives in the same house in Johor has been “separated” by the Election Commission and told to vote in different constituencies, the Bersih People’s Tribunal was told today.

The couple, identified as Mr and Mrs Ong, was represented by a family member, G.S. Ong. He said that before the delineation exercise in 2003, they had lived in Kg Abdullah, Segamat, for over 40 years and came under the parliamentary constituency of Segamat (P125).

After 2003, however, Mr Ong was asked to vote in Segamat, which was reorganised to become P140, while Mrs Ong was designated to vote in a newly-created constituency named Sekijang (P141).

G.S.Ong said he felt sorry for the couple who could not vote together.

“What this shows is that the Election Commission is so powerful it can ‘divorce couples’ and this has happened to many couples and families in Kampung Abdullah,” G.S. Ong said.

To prove his point, he produced a map which showed neighbouring homes dotted blue and red intermittently, showing voters in the constituencies of Segamat in red and Sekijang in blue. They live in the same neighbourhood but had to vote in different constituencies.

In GE13, Health Minister Datuk Seri S.Subramaniam retained his Segamat seat beating PKR’s Datuk Chua Jui Meng by a 1,217-vote majority.

This is because the EC had moved pro-opposition supporters to Sekijang in the electoral roll, said G.S Ong.

He added that the aim was to dilute the opposition support in Segamat to ensure a Barisan Nasional win.

Chua subsequently lost an election petition he filed in court to challenge the result.

Panel chairman Professor Yash Pal Ghai asked conducting officer Professor Gurdial Singh if he had brought up this matter to the EC, to which Gurdial said, “This is why we asked EC to come here.”

Political analyst Dr Wong Chin Huat, who first revealed the Ong poser at the tribunal today in a slide titled “One bed, two constituencies”, said he noted it was impossible that the Ong home stood directly in the middle of P140 and P141.

“And you find these cases, where people from the same house are given different constituencies to vote in.

“This destroys the identity and unity of a community,” Wong added after he presented his views on electoral reform. – September 21, 2013.

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7 Replies to ““One bed, two constituencies” because Election Commission “separated” husband and wife, Tribunal told”

  1. The EC should take note that pro-opposition supporters may not always be pro-opposition and likewise, pro-BN supporters may not always be pro-BN (in fact many once pro-BN urban Malays turned pro-opposition in GE13). Thus, assigning voters to an “unusual” constituency may not necessarily work to BN’s advantage.

  2. Another proof dat EC is a trusted poodle n serf of UmnoB
    D fifth column of UmnoB n it undermines d sovereignty of rakyat M’sia
    EC should b PUNISHED, cursed 4 subverting true democracy in M’sia – hence we ended up with a MINORITY elected corrupt, racist gomen under a twisted, subverted n engineered democracy

  3. That is why Najib calls 1Malaysia a land of ‘Endless Possibilities’ where anything can and does happen.

    Did you not hear of the gentlemen from Dhaka whose constituencies are in Klang, Paroi and many other places ?

    What about the many ‘Phantom Voters’ from the other world who diligently come out in force into ours to vote for you to save you time ?

    And the many men and women you lead double lives having two identities ensuring they can have the best of both worlds ?

    Endless Possibilities. Only in 1Malaysia.

  6. Compare the hysteria and mass roll out of the 1Malaysia slogan after Najib launched it and the now suspiciously quiet “endless possibilities” after the launch.

    What happened? Afraid that it will be ridiculed and lambasted without mercy? Or the man spouting it has no faith in the slogan himself? And even his sychophantic boot lickers know it is a lightning rod for derision?

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