KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 — Bersih 2.0 steering committee today said declaring the polling day, May 9, as a public holiday will still result in a poorer voter turnout for the 14th general election.
The electoral watchdog said the weekday polling will still be a problem for voters who are working, especially those who have to travel to the East Malaysia and from Singapore, Brunei, Kalimantan and southern Thailand.
“Furthermore, voters who are not eligible for postal voting will face huge challenges as it is not a public holiday for them in their countries of residence and may encounter difficulties coming back to vote.
“They may have to take two days leave from their employers,” it said in a statement.
It said 90 per cent of voters turnout was required to show a strong representation of the “voice” of Malaysians.
Putrajaya recently declared the polling day as a public holiday after the day fell on Wednesday.
