Media statement by Lim Guan Eng in George Town on Saturday, 13^th August 2011: 

Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar wrong to compare gross increase with net increase in voters  

Elections Commission (EC) Deputy Chair Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar is wrong to make wild allegations that I was trying to distort the increase in voters in Penang over the 2nd quarter of from April to June this year. Wan Ahmad should stop trying to confuse the public by comparing gross increase with net increase of new voters.

This is no different from comparing apples with oranges and a dishonest representation of facts and figures. I had asked the EC to explain why there was such a dramatic gross increase in new voters of 25,558 new voters in the 2nd quarter of 2011 as compared to the previous quarters over the last 3 years.

Whilst I was talking about gross increase new voters, the EC is talking about the net increase in voters after removing voters who had lost their citizenship status, died or moved away. Comparing the net voter increase with gross voter increase is wrong and is akin to comparing apples and oranges.

I had said that for the 2nd quarter of 2011 in Penang, there were 25,558 new voters and 6,845 names struck off. The overall impact of the increase of new voters accompanied by the removal of voters both ways would be 32,403 votes. The net increase of new voters is derived by deducting the gross increase in voters of 25,558 by the number of voters removed of 6,845 to arrive at the net voter increase of 18,713.

It is regrettable that when I am talking about gross increase of new voters of 25,558, Wan Omar tries to divert attention by talking about net increase of new voters of 18,713 voters. It is therefore wrong for Wan Omar to say that of 18,713 net increase of new voters registered in the state, about 14,000 were registered by political parties, of which Umno registered 4,000, followed by DAP (3,900), PKR (800), Gerakan (750), MCA (600), and PAS (500).

The 3,900 new voters registered by DAP should not be compared with the net voter increase of 18,713 but compared instead with the gross voter increase of 25,558 voters. All political parties did not remove voters only new ones as only the EC has the power to strike out the names of voters. Wan Omar should not pretend that he does not understand simple arithmetic.

*Lim Guan Eng, Penang Chief Minister