Polls pressure group Bersih 2.0 has insisted the Election Commission makes public all information pertaining to its proposed biometric voter verification system that has been endorsed by the Najib administration.
“The EC must explain everything in full; will it be ready by GE13? If GE is soon, I do not think the biometric system can be implemented. You have to do dry runs throughout the country, and explain how it works. Will it also be tamper-proof?” Bersih chief Ambiga Sreenevasan told a forum entitled What next after July 9 also attended by EC deputy chairman Wan Ahman Wan Omar.
“The data has to also be of integrity; will it rely on data provided from the NRD? If the biometric system is tied to the NRD, and if the department cannot determine which voters are deceased, then this is a grave concern. The whole biometric system must also be transparent, from the tender process to the implementation.
Indelible ink more sensible in the interim
Ambiga also continued to pressure the EC to use indelible ink, adding that this was a cheap and effective solution. She also stressed the need for automatic voter registration, saying that the election system should be geared towards making sure those aged 21 and above should vote.
Nonetheless, Wan Ahmad was initially non-conceding. He insisted the biometric system was the “best way” and declined to tell if the system would be ready by the next general election as many pundits believe the system was just a ploy by Najib to delay the 8 reforms demanded by Bersih.
Najib is expected to call for snap general elections before or soon after the October 7 Budget presentation.
“Through fingerprint scans, no two persons will have the same biometry. When it is ready, the biometric system will be matched with 12 million registered voters,” said Wan Ahmad, without acknowldeging that such a system could be hacked and vulnerable to massive electronic fraud.
Later on amid boos from the crowd, Wan Omar admitted there was little the EC could do without the approval of the BN government
“The EC is not an enforcement agency; it is only a management body for elections. The best we can do is to propose relevant laws to the Attorney-General’s Chambers. But ultimately it is the government of the day, which obtained majority votes, which has the final say," Wan Ahmad told a hostile audience.
"If the government decides that voting age is 21 years old, whatever proposal we send to the A-G’s Chambers can never go to Parliament."
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