BANGKOK: For Malaysian, Chan Tze Weng working in Pathum Thani, Thailand, he hoped to vote in the 15th General Election on Saturday however, due to distance and time constraints, he decided to ‘fly’ his ballots home with the help from volunteers.
“I want to make sure every vote counts. That is why I registered as overseas voter and made sure my ballots arrived home on time,” he told Bernama.
For Malaysians living overseas, they are joining the global effort in assisting fellow Malaysians to deliver postal votes back to Malaysia on time.
There for few movements including UNDI18 and Global Malaysia Network that have been helping Malaysians overseas to bring their ballots home.
Yap Lu Ying, who has been working in Bangkok for four years now said she is helping fellow Malaysians here to deliver their ballots in the upcoming election.
She set up the date and time for the collection of ballots in Bangkok before bringing them back to Malaysia latest on Friday.
This is the second time she volunteered to help bring back home the ballots of fellow Malaysians in Thailand, Yap who is the Regional Business Director of TraXasia said she helped fellow Malaysians in Thailand to exercise their voting rights.
“I hope the initiative will help more Malaysians’ voice heard in the coming election.
“We do have first time voters as well, also someone who last voted 20 years ago. Ballots coming all the way from Phuket and Ayutthaya. They are overcoming all challenges just to pass us the ballots.
“All Malaysians care for our country and we want a better Malaysia,” she told Bernama.
Yap hoped more Malaysians back home would come out to vote on Saturday.
“Please do not think your vote is not important,” she said.
For Lana Tan Swee Lan from Bangkok, she wants Malaysians living abroad have their say as well in this election.
“I knew many (postal ballots) would not make it on time, therefore I decided to travel home four days earlier so all ballots I collected would make it home time,” she said.
Lana collected 104 ballots from Malaysian living and working in Thailand and take them back to Malaysia.
According to UNDI18, all the ballot envelopes will be taken to the sorting centre in Kuala Lumpur for the sorting process of the 222 Parliament and 117 State Legislative Assembly (DUN) and sent to the states including Sabah and Sarawak.-Bernama