Discrimination against Sarawak by EC?

It costs the same for Batang Ai as Bukit Selambau despite the vast
differences in infrastructures.

It means that allowances of EC workers in Sarawak will be much less
than those in Kedah.

Less money and therefore less economic activity for Sarawak. No
wonder, Sarawak is among the poorest in Malaysia.

http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=402044
April 06, 2009 13:16 PM

Three By-elections Cost EC RM1.5 Million

KUALA LUMPUR, April 6 (Bernama) -- The Election Commission (EC) is
spending about RM1.5 million to conduct the three by-elections
tomorrow, in the Bukit Gantang parliamentary constituency in Perak and
the state constituencies of Bukit Selambau in Kedah and Batang Ai in
Sarawak, the Dewan Negara was told today.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri
Aziz said the EC was spending RM700,000 to conduct the by-election in
Bukit Gantang and RM400,000 each to conduct the by-elections in Bukit
Selambau and Batang Ai.

The cost of the by-election in Bukit Gantang was higher because it was
a parliamentary constituency, he said when replying to a question from
Senator Datuk Abdul Rahman Bakar.

Replying to a supplementary question, from Senator Mumtaz Md Nawi,
Nazri said the people could not be subjected to automatic registration
as voters.

"Automatic registration would mean subjecting an individual to
coercion. In a democratic country, a citizen has the option of
registering as a voter.

"As such, in this matter, we cannot force anyone. When they are made
to register as voters and they don't exercise their right (when the
time comes), they would be regarded as having neglected their duty to
vote," he said.

-- BERNAMA