Angie (centre) and three other women recently travelled across Sabah, urging people to vote wisely in the Sabah state election.
KOTA KINABALU (Oct 11): As Sabah prepares for its 17th State Election (PRN17), the Vote Wisely Movement is calling on the Election Commission (EC) to extend postal voting to Sabahans working and studying in Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak — a move the team says is crucial to ensuring every Sabahan has a voice in deciding the future of their homeland.
Every election, the same painful reality repeats itself: Thousands of Sabahans living outside the state are unable to return home to vote.
Some are students struggling to save for a single flight ticket.
Others are frontliners, factory workers, or service staff who cannot afford to take days off work.
All of them share one thing in common — a deep love for Sabah, and a growing frustration that the system makes it nearly impossible for them to participate in shaping its future.
“If Sabahans can serve, study, and build Malaysia from every corner of the country, they should also have the right to help decide Sabah’s future — no matter where they are,” said Angie S. Chin from Vote Wisely Movement.
According to recent reports, over 200,000 Sabahans currently live, work or study outside Sabah.
And more than 55% of Sabah’s registered voters are youth aged 18–39 — many among those living in Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak.
However, under current regulations, postal voting is limited only to members of the security forces (army and police), and Malaysians living overseas.
This means ordinary Sabahans temporarily residing in other states are denied a fundamental democratic right.
“We talk about empowering youth and building a new Sabah,” said Angie, “but many young Sabahans are still denied the most basic power of all — the power to vote.”
The Vote Wisely Movement believes that EC can make postal voting accessible without compromising transparency or logistics.
The group proposes three practical steps:
1. Digital Pre-Registration for Out-of-State Sabahans Eligible voters can apply through MySPR or designated state liaison offices, verified using their IC address, employer, or university confirmation.
2. Designated Ballot Centres in Major Cities Establish official collection and drop-off points in Klang Valley, Johor Bahru, Kuching, and Penang, managed in collaboration with Sabahan associations, universities, and NGOs, under EC’s supervision.
3. Pilot Programme for PRN17 Implement a limited pilot system during PRN17 to test and refine postal voting for broader use in future elections.
“If we can bank, study and work online — surely we can find a way to let Sabahans vote safely and fairly from where they are,” Angie added.
The “Let Sabahans Vote” movement is non-partisan — driven not by political agendas but by the belief in equal rights, dignity, and democracy.
It calls on all leaders, regardless of party, to support the extension of Undi Pos for the sake of fairness and inclusion.
“Voting is not a privilege. It’s a right,” Angie emphasized.
“Let PRN17 be remembered as the election where Sabah finally ensured that no Sabahan is silenced, no youth is excluded, and no worker is forgotten — simply because they are away from home.”
The public can support this movement by signing and sharing the petition: https://c.org/n659HrNM6W
Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Youth has also urged the EC to enhance the postal voting system by including students from Sabah and Sarawak studying in Peninsular Malaysia — and vice versa.
PBS Deputy Youth Chief Shahrun Nidzam Sharoom said that while the introduction of Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) since the 15th General Election (GE15) was a commendable step, further improvements were needed to ensure all eligible Malaysians could exercise their right to vote, especially those studying far from home.
He noted that many students from Sabah and Sarawak pursuing their studies in public or private institutions in Peninsular Malaysia face logistical and financial challenges in returning home to vote.
“Many of these students are unable to fulfil their democratic right due to the long distance, high travel costs, and time constraints,” Shahrun said in a statement on Saturday.
“Currently, postal voting covers only certain categories, including Malaysians and students living abroad. However, students within the country who are studying outside their home regions are not included in the existing postal voting scheme.”
To address this, Shahrun proposed several measures for the EC to consider in improving voter accessibility across regions.
Among his recommendations were: Introducing a new postal voting category for students from Sabah and Sarawak studying in Peninsular Malaysia; creating a special online registration system for postal voters via the EC portal with institutional verification; and collaborating with universities and colleges to set up postal voting centres on campuses.
He also suggested that the EC conduct a pilot project with selected higher learning institutions to test the system’s feasibility before implementing it nationwide.
“These measures can be implemented to ensure that students from Sabah and Sarawak are not left out of the democratic process,” he said.
“At the same time, it will help nurture civic awareness and a sense of patriotism among the younger generation.”
Shahrun added that the proposal aligns with the spirit of the Federal Constitution, which guarantees every Malaysian citizen the right to vote.
“With today’s technology and systems already in place, implementing postal voting for inter-regional students is not only feasible but also practical and inclusive,” he said.
The EC is scheduled to meet on October 16 to finalise key dates for the upcoming Sabah State Election, which will determine representatives for the State Legislative Assembly and the new government for the next five years.
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