Kota Kinabalu: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Youth urged the Election Commission (EC) to improve the postal voting system ahead of the coming state election.
Its Deputy Youth Chief Shahrun Nidzam Sharoom said while the introduction of Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) since the 15th General Election (GE15) was a positive step, there were still gaps that needed attention, particularly for students studying far from their home constituencies within Malaysia.
He said many students from Sabah and Sarawak pursuing studies in public and private institutions in the peninsula faced challenges in returning home to vote due to distance, high travel costs and time constraints.
“This situation has prevented many eligible students from exercising their democratic right,” he said.
Currently, postal voting is limited to several categories, including Malaysians studying or working abroad (Category 1B).
“However, students within Malaysia but outside their home regions, such as those from Sabah and Sarawak studying in the peninsula, are excluded from the scheme,” he said.
To address this, Shahrun proposed several measures for the EC to consider, including introducing a new postal voter category for Sabah and Sarawak students studying in the peninsula and vice versa, creating a dedicated online postal voter registration system verified by higher learning institutions, and setting up postal voting centres on campuses to ensure a transparent and accessible process.
He also suggested the EC conduct a pilot project with selected institutions to assess the system’s effectiveness before implementing it nationwide.
“These steps would ensure students from Sabah and Sarawak are not left behind in the democratic process while promoting civic awareness and patriotism among the younger generation,” he said.