Speech by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, at the meeting of the Penang DAP Tanjong 3 Voters’ Registration Committee held at Penang DAP Hqrs on Thursday, 21st July 1994 at 8.30 pm
DAP to set up ‘Phantom Voters-Rusting’ Unit in every state to ferret out and expose the massive transfer of phantom voters to shore up certain strategic Gerakan constituencies, like Tanjong Bungah state constituency in Penang and Bruas parliamentary seat in Perak
The DAP National Voters’ Registration Committee will set up a ‘Phantom Voters-Rusting’ unit in every state to ferret out and expose the massive transfer of phantom voters to shore up certain strategic Gerakan constituencies, like Tanjong Bungah state constituency in Penang and Bruas parliamentary seat in Perak.
Penang Chief Minister, Dr. Koh Tsu Koon took one week to deny that there is a Barisan Nasional plot to register several thousand ‘phantom voters’ in Tanjong Bungah from outside the state constituency – including a special operation to register about 2,000 Malay workers from other states in the Tanjong Bungah state constituency although they are working and resident in Bayan Baru.
Tsu Koon’s denial that there is Save-Koh Tsu Koon Operation which seeks to register several thousand ‘phantom voters’ in Tanjong Bungah is to be expected. What is unexpected is that he took so long to issue a denial.
I will discuss with the DAP National Voters’ Registration Committee headed by the National Organising Secretary, Kerk Kim Hock to work out a strategy whereby the ‘Phantom Voters-Busting’ Unit in every state could ferret out and expose these ‘phantom voters’ who neither reside nor work in the constituency they are registered.
In the process of ferreting out and exposing these ‘phantom voters’ of the Barisan Nasional, the DAP will consider all avenues to strike out the ‘phantom voters’ from the general electoral rolls and disqualify them from voting in the next general elections.
In last year’s general elections, there had already been an operation to transfer ‘phantom voters’ to Bruas parliamentary constituency, and this ‘Phantom Voters-Planting’ operation would be further stepped up in Bruas in the current 21-day voters registration exercise conducted by the Election Commission.
Although ‘Phantom Voters-Busting’ is not an easy job, the time has come for the country and all voters to take a serious view of such gross electoral abuses, and I hope that the DAP’s unprecedented decision to set up a ‘Phantom Voters-Busting’ Unit in very state will get the support of the public at large.
Call on every eligible voter in Penang who has reached 21 years to register on the electoral roll before July 31
The 21-day voters’ registration exercise conducted by the Election Commission has passed the half-way mark and there are only nine days left.
It is very significant that there are only two political parties in the country which are very concerned about the voters’ registration exercise – DAP and UMNO.
UMNO has declared as its target the registration of 100,000 new UMNO voters in these 21 days so as to influence the outcome of the next general election, nationally as well as in Penang.
UMNO has mobilized its entire machinery as well as government resources, facilities and personnel in particular KEMAS to achieve its target of registering 400,000 new UMNO voters. From my reports, UMNO has been very successful in its campaign and by now, it should have registered some 60 per cent of this target group.
However, UMNO is not interested in the registration of another 500,000 eligible voters as it does not regard them as reliable voters for UMNO and Barisan Nasional in the next general elections.
Although there is a greater interest than previous years in the voters’ registration exercise, the percentage of registration of the 500,000 eligible voters is a far cry from the registration of UMNO’s target group of 400,000 new UMNO voters.
If UMNO succeeds in registering 90 per cent of its target group of 400,000 new UMNO voters, while only 20 to 30 per cent of the other 500,000 eligible voters are registered, then UMNO will be able to decisively determine the outcome of the next general elections, including the Battle of Tanjong 3 in Penang.
I call on every eligible voter in Penang who has reached 21 years to register on the electoral roll by July 31 to ensure that the future of Penang and Malaysia are decided by all Malaysians, and not by the extra 400,000 new UMNO voters.
Let all Malaysians, and in particular the people of Penang, regard the registration of eligible voters as a matter of grave urgency and importance, and for the next nine days, the first thing they should do when they meet their neighbours, friends and acquaintances is whether they have registered as a voter!