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SEVERAL civil society movements have urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to direct government agencies to help the Election Commission (EC) expand postal voting for out-of-state Sabahans, and that continued inaction could lead to low voter turnout in the upcoming state election.
In a joint statement, Bersih, Engage, ROSE, Tindak, Projek SAMA, Suara Mahasiswa UMS and several Sabah-based groups said the EC has the legal power to introduce new postal voter categories without amending any law, but has “remained silent” despite public pressure.
The coalition said postal voting should immediately be extended to Sabahan students studying in public universities across the peninsula, those hospitalized or living in nursing homes, and individuals on official election duty such as candidates and polling agents.
They also called on the Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Health, and Department of Social Welfare to work with the EC to ensure that eligible voters unable to return home could still exercise their democratic right.
“Expanding postal voting requires no amendment of any law. The EC can declare new categories of eligible postal voters under the Elections (Postal Voting) Regulations 2003,” the statement said.
“It must stop pretending that logistical constraints justify disenfranchising thousands.”
The groups warned that ignoring the issue would further depress turnout, which has historically been lower in Sabah than in the rest of Malaysia. In the 15th General Election, the national turnout was 74.7%, but only 64.4% in Sabah, a gap of more than ten percentage points that effectively silenced tens of thousands of voices.
“If postal voting is not expanded, turnout in the November election could fall below 60%, undermining the legitimacy of the next Sabah government,” the statement read.
The coalition criticised the EC’s insistence on what it described as “dogmatic residential voting,” which forces poorer Sabahans working or studying in the peninsula to spend hundreds of ringgit to return home to vote, while Malaysians living overseas can vote by post.
“This creates a class division between those who can afford to vote and those who cannot,” it added.
The groups also called on all contesting parties, including UPKO, PKR, PBS and Warisan, to pledge in their manifestos that the next Sabah government will guarantee postal voting as a fundamental right for all Sabahan voters, whether they live in the peninsula or abroad.
They reminded both the EC and the federal government that under Article 115 of the Federal Constitution, public authorities are required to assist the Commission in carrying out its duties, including facilitating access to the ballot box.
“The EC must prove that it is committed to inclusion, not exclusion. Sabahans should not have to choose between their livelihoods and their right to vote,” the groups said. - October 25, 2025