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Rights of registered voters: Election Commission clarifies that registered voters who apply to change their addresses less than 3 months before Parliament dissolution can still vote in their old constituencies Media Statement by Kerk Kim Hock (Petaling Jaya, Friday): In response to remarks by the Election Commission secretary Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar in the Utusan Malaysia on the loss of voting rights of the registered voters who change their addresses less than 3 months before the dissolution of Parliament. I had said in a statement dated 5.2.2003 that:  “ I am most disturbed by the EC's statement that those who register as new voters or those old voters who change their addresses less than 3 months before the dissolution of the Parliament will lose their voting rights as the EC requires three months to do the necessary processing.   In this electronic era where computers are relied upon to do most, if not all the work, there is no reason why EC cannot shorten the time required.  No procedure should override or take away a registered voter’s right to vote in an election. As such, even if the EC is unable to process applications to change address less than 3 months before the Parliament is dissolved, the voters should be allowed to vote at their old constituencies instead of having their rights taken away.  What the EC should do is to treat all such “ late” applications to change their addresses as invalid and allow the voters to vote at their old constituencies.  I therefore urge the EC to retract its statement, failing which DAP MPs will make their objection in the March Parliament sittings.”   In a fax dated 6.2.2003, the EC secretary Datuk Wan Ahamd clarified that the registered voters who change their addresses less than 3 months before the Parliament dissolution will not lose their voting rights as they will still be entitled to vote in their old constituencies.   He clarified voters in such category will not have their names confrimed in time as the EC is required by existing laws to carry out list display for the public to view and make the necessary objections. This means that they will have to vote in their old constituencies. The voting rights of voters who have been confirmed will not be affected.  I thank the EC secretary for his swift response to my statement that was faxed to his office yesterday. (7/2/2003) * Kerk Kim Hock, DAP Secretary General and MP for Kota Melaka