GE15: Mahathir suggests EC to prohibit voters from bringing phones to polling centre

SHAH ALAM - Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today suggested for the Election Commission (EC) to prohibit voters from bringing their phones to the polling centres to avoid corruption.

He said the procedure needed to be tightened because phones could purportedly lead to leak of vote secrecy and be used to gain rewards in return.

"There are many weaknesses in the election, but the EC refused to hear the criticisms regarding the weakness.

"If it is not corrected, corruption and deception would happen in the election. Phones could be used to reveal the voter's secret (vote). A party could use this information for bribes," he said in a statement on Thursday.

The former prime minister reminded the EC that voters could show pictures of the ballot paper that has been marked for the political parties to gain from it.

"Voters could reveal through their phones that they had voted for a certain party and the party would then give them money as a reward.

"Can't the EC prevent voters from bringing phones to vote? There are many weaknesses of the election that needs to be fixed by the EC before the 15th General Election (GE15)," he said.