In case you haven't notice, I really did came back to Kuching just for this 13th General Election and I do glad that most of the Taukes and Taukenios did so too which makes this weekend whirlwind trip home even more memorable. As a first time voter, I do sense bubbling excitement and anticipation not just among my peers but as well as other more seasoned voters. Is this election going to be a turning point of electoral democracy in Malaysia? Whatever that's going to happen, let's wait until 9pm tonight.
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| As usual, my alma SRB (now SJK (C) apparently) Sam Hap Hin has again became the polling station for Kota Sentosa centre and it has been years since the last time I stepped back to my school. This was taken around 7.30am and the weather in Kuching is splendid as usual. The morning glory. Oh this is the extend I can took picture of my polling station because according to regulation, you're not allowed to use mobile device within the compound. |
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| Just as reminder for anyone who hasn't been to the polling station yet, all you need to bring is your identification card. If you did print out the voters slip from SPR/EC's website (HERE), you CAN skip the tent for checking the electoral roll and head straight to your designated polling stream. I only learnt yesterday from my parent is that the polling streams is indeed assigned according to age group with Group 1 usually reserved to senior citizen and it gets younger as you go up the polling stream number. Anyway, here's a before (top with clean left hand) and after (painted index finger) picture of my left hand. As for that bowl of kolo mee and teh c, my long time (since kindy!) haunt for kolo mee, Huat Huat (发发) Kopitam is giving out free bowls of kolo mee for any voters! Being true to his HHH nature, the Tauke is bloody sporting! |
The voting flow at my polling stream goes largely according to the what SPR/EC has drawn up which started off with 1st Kerani/Polling Clerk checking and matching your name and IC number (which will be read loudly for the two polling agents in the polling stream to cross check with their own copy of electoral roll) in the electoral roll allocated before crossing your name out. Then a slight...variation /change / discrepancy / anomaly occurred: the duty of Kerani/Polling Clerk #2 with #3 were switched in which the ballot paper were given FIRST before the finger is daubed with indelible ink (which was suppose to be the other way around according to the flow drawn up by SPR). One more anomaly that I noticed as well is the stamp were NOT used on my ballot paper and everyone in front of me in my stream were not stamped as well. (ADDENDUM: there might or might not be erring or fault of memory on my part but) Since both polling agents (not sure who are they affiliated to) inside my stream didn't make a peep at all about that (does that rule out ulterior motives by power that be?), I supposed the procedure has been altered in the 11th hour to save the hassle. I checked with my relatives voting in other stream and their ballot papers too were not stamped. I think for now I will give the polling clerks and officers my trust plus I don't think they dare to mess up the whole polling streams/stations by rendering thousands of ballot paper null and void (or do they).
Beyond these two anomalies however, everything went along as expected. Not smudge, dot or marking the ballot paper, the transparent box were located right in the middle of the room under the watchful eye of polling officer and agents, I made my choice, fold the ballot paper, insert it into the box and move out of the room. The indelible ink has not worn off so far BUT I do think my stream certainly were not stingy in daubing my index finger which can be counterproductive in a way because it took longer time to dry and settle in. Oh and I can see the repercussion about the news about washable indelible ink happening to advance voter because the polling officer in my polling stream does SHAKE the ink bottle before daubing on voters' index fingers. This is why it's important to read the instruction manual.
How about your polling station going on now?
ADDENDUM: Tried to check with a few more friends. Some of them mentioned the stamp is on the back or something. (which certainly I didn't recall) But I thought the procedure stated it's supposed to be in FRONT at the edges? Or did I remember wrongly. Anyway, will continue to ask around.
ADDENDUM 2: Asked parents and more relatives that voted in the same polling station as I do (their stream was alright) and gone through a rigourous risk analysis about how far procedural mistake within hours may or may not influence the vote count. Our conclusion was: 1) our vote (stamp or not) for that two hours will and has to be counted because all three electoral rosters will have to be tallied 2) the votes in the boxes will be counted and tallied for as the day goes by 3) SPR/EC wouldn't risk a backlash from voters by voiding their vote intentionally and some political party agents would've complained by now if there's anything hanky-panky spotted. 4) You won't be able to traced it anyway because you already left the polling center. So my current position is (though with some doubt still) is that my and 10+ votes of my streams from 8am onward will still be counted. If anything, consult SPR's guide in tallying votes (thanks, Cheng Fai) That's all my coverage for now.
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Epilogue: Well, I have to take my precaution, haven't I? Just because its on a blog doesn't mean I do not or can't practice my right to hold the integrity of the content.
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