Malaysia GE2022: Overseas voters find ways to ensure ballots reach Malaysia on time

JOHOR BAHRU - Malaysians abroad are pooling resources to ensure their ballots reach the country on time, with one couple deciding to make the drive across the Causeway themselves.

Housewife Joanna Tan Sue Mae, 53, said she and her husband got their ballots on Monday but were worried they would not be able to send them back on time.

“I decided to come back to Malaysia to post our postal votes on Tuesday,” she said, adding that the postal registration process was easy.

“In March, we registered as postal voters and voted in the Johor state elections. At that time, the border was still closed and volunteers helped collect and send our ballots back to Johor,” she said.

Ms Tan and husband Tan Chee Yan, 54, are voters in the Tebrau parliamentary constituency.

There are more than 4,000 people registered as postal voters in Singapore.

Commercial insurance broker Foo Chia Ming, 37, said he had been worried about missing out on the vote after registering as a postal voter.

“There are many stories about people getting their ballots late. However, everything went smoothly and I received mine on Sunday.

“On Monday, I sent it to a group of volunteers in Singapore for it to be delivered to Malaysia,” said Mr Foo, who voted for the Damak state seat and Jerantut parliamentary seat in Pahang.

“In 2018, my brother and I drove back to Pahang to cast our votes. This time, I opted for postal voting instead,” he said, adding that his brother would be making his way home.

Business development executive Farrah Diyana Mohammad Ali, 34, who has been working in Singapore for about 10 years, is a volunteer who has been helping Malaysians in Singapore to send their ballots home.

“This is the second time we are volunteering to deliver the ballots. The first was during the Johor state election, where volunteers send the ballots back by bus.

“This time, two volunteers will fly to Kuala Lumpur on Nov 17 while 15 of us will drive across.

“The ballots will all be sent to Kuala Lumpur to be sorted before being delivered to the respective returning officers,” said the 1third Media Movement volunteer.

The 1third Media Movement is among NGOs worldwide working with Undi18 to bring Malaysians’ ballots back to the country.

Undi18 co-founder and advocacy director Tharma Pillai said they were aiming to deliver some 50,000 ballots from Malaysians all over the world.

“We are working with about 18 youth and student organisations around the world,” he said.

“We have also received flight sponsorship from Malaysia Airlines for the ballots to be delivered from five countries – Singapore, United Kingdom, Japan, Indonesia and Australia.

“The ballots are expected to reach KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) between Nov 16 and 18,” he said.

Meanwhile, with only three days left until the Nov 19 deadline, some Malaysians living overseas are still waiting for their postal ballot papers to arrive.

A voter in Los Angeles, who did not want to be identified, said she was still waiting for her ballot papers as at Tuesday.

“At this point, I do not know if it will arrive by Nov 19 and I am also trying to figure out if I will be able to find a courier who could send the vote back to Malaysia on time,” said the 34-year-old mother of one.

“There has been no update on the tracking status. It looks like I will not be able to vote this time around,” said the executive from Petaling Jaya who moved to the US after her marriage.

Another voter based in Dubai, who wanted to be known only as Ian, is also waiting for his ballot paper.

“I am a first-time voter, and I am disappointed that I will miss the deadline,” said the 25-year-old from Penang, who works in the hospitality sector.

“I am excited to vote, and even if it arrives by Nov 19, I don’t think I will be able to send the ballot back on time unless I am able to find someone who is flying to Malaysia before Saturday,” he added. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK