Parliament: EC Probes Domestic Postal Voting Framework Across Peninsula, Sabah, and Sarawak

KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 — The Election Commission (EC) has initiated a detailed comprehensive feasibility study regarding the proposed implementation of domestic postal voting for registered electors traveling or residing between Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M. Kulasegaran stated that the extensive legislative and logistical review necessitates thorough engagement sessions with all key democratic stakeholders, including various political parties, before any final policy determination can be executed.

“The study is expected to be completed next year,” Kulasegaran disclosed during today’s Dewan Rakyat Special Chamber session.

The deputy minister was responding to an inquiry raised by Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis (WARISAN-Kota Belud), who pressed the government on the urgent need to transform legacy electoral processes and legally safeguard inter-regional postal voting rights for citizens living across different territories in Malaysia.

In a parallel development concerning broader democratic reforms, Kulasegaran revealed that the federal administration remains entirely open to reviewing the structural positioning of the EC, particularly regarding long-standing proposals to place the independent election management body under the direct purview of Parliament rather than the Prime Minister’s Department.

“I think that is a good suggestion that should be taken into consideration. The matter will be brought to the relevant parties so that a decision can be made soon,” he noted, signaling a major potential shift toward absolute institutional independence.

Addressing persistent complaints alleging that enforcement surrounding the ban on mobile phone usage within active polling streams remains lax, Kulasegaran clarified the regulatory stance. He explained that the EC maintains absolute confidence in its existing monitoring and control mechanisms, adding that the government has no immediate plans to alter standard voting procedures or introduce digital device usage as a standalone statutory offense under the Election Offences Act 1954.

-NMT