The Elections commission is urged to ban the carrying of cameras and hand phones into voting rooms. This is to prevent buying votes by candidates and political parties that could afford it. The buying of votes by using a camera or hand phone which has camera is a simple process.

The candidate who wants to buy vote may offer the voter a certain amount of money, say RM200-00 in return of voting for the candidate or party.

An advance payment may be made by the candidate or party before voting and the balance be collected by the voter after voting been done. To claim the balance, the voter may be required to show proof that he had voted for the candidate or party that gave him the bribe. Proof is done by the voter showing the photo taken of ballot paper by using the camera or hand phone that has camera after voting made, but before the ballot paper been thrown into the ballot box by the voter.

To some voters a sum of RM200 for the vote sold could be a big deal especially during the current economic downturn. One could not discount such a tactic was used during the last Sarawak Elections.

The Election Commission is also urged during elections, to equip its security personnel with metal detectors for weapons being carried into voting centres. Voters who came to vote should be bodily checked for weapon. One should not discount of possibility of individuals or extremist groups causing security problems to voters or workers during elections. The fatal shooting of an ex-prime minister recently in Japan during elections campaign should be an eye opener for us to be more security conscious during elections time.

VOON LEE SHAN
President, Parti Bumi Kenyalang