Parliament: Only Civil Servants And Students Abroad May Vote In Absentia

(Bernama) – Only civil servants and students overseas and their spouses may vote in absentia, the Dewan Rakyat was told on Wednesday.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz said this was stipulated in the Federal Constitution which stated that they must be Malaysians registered as voters.

They were exempted from not being physically present on the grounds that they were working and not voluntarily absent and were overseas temporarily, he said, responding to Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah) who asked about the voting rights of Malaysians abroad.

Responding to a supplementary question from M.Kulasegaran (DAP-Ipoh Barat), Mohamed Nazri said that there would be all sorts of logistic and other problems if Malaysians on holiday were allowed to vote in absentia.

“If Malaysians staying abroad love Malaysia, they should return. They are there by choice, and not because of work or study,” he said.