My Experience Being a Polling & Counting Agent I

On the polling day that was held on 8 March 2008, I woke up at 6.30am and went to a nearby mamak restaurant for my breakfast.

Reported myself at the Sri Mega primary school and took the stationaries required for my work as a polling and counting agent, representing Democratic Action Party ("DAP").

The leader of my school gave me a listing and said that I would be in classroom no. 3. When I saw the list, I said aiyoh leader ........ why la this list/classroom.

If you didn't know, classroom 1 is usually the oldest folks in a particular school (same procedure for all schools). And classroom 2 would be, say another 10 years younger's batch and so forth as it goes down the classroom numbers. My classroom 3 was for those born in the year 1943 to 1949.

No leng lui for me to see lah. All uncles and aunties......aiyoyo. Even though it was supposed to be a serious job, got leng lui to see will make me more alert ma. Other people got those born in the year 1986 to early 1990s. I got those born in the 1943 to 1949, goodness me ............

Reported to the classroom and found that I was to be seated on a chair and table used by the primary schoolkids. Imagine a 6 feet guy having to fit into it. At any one time, both my legs couldn't be put under the table. The classroom has 3 ceiling fans only.

I got to know the Election Commission's Returning Officer in my classroom together with his 3 colleagues.

At 7.30am, we could see Malaysian citizens queueing up in front of Election Commission officials to check their names and which classes to cast their votes. Old, young and babies that came along too.

At 7.45am, the Returning Officer showed me the empty box and subsequently asked me where is MCA's Polling Agent. How would I know? They don't they would lose out if there were any discrepancy. He tied up the box at its handles with a fine wire that were tighten with a small lock and a short white cloth too. The 1 foot long cloth was then stucked to the box with a sticker and I counter-signed on the sticker with the Returning Officer to prove that the box is empty and properly locked. I didn't take any picture as I respect the importance of this work.

At 8.00am, Malaysian citizens were trickling into the school. The Returning Officer checked with his 3 colleagues and me before we allow the first voter to come in.

Hehehehehehehe, the MCA rep came quite late.

9.00am, 10.00am, 11.00am - time passed so slow. All you do is just to ensure that whatever names being read out by the election commission clerk would be striked off in my listing. This is for double checking purpose. In case someone has came in to vote before and the clerk forgot to strike off, I would protest saying this voter came in to vote before.

Two incidents in the morning:-
a) an auntie came with her identity card. The clerk read out the identity card ("I/C") number and her name. Me and the MCA polling agent found that the I/C was different. I noted on my list that this person was supposed to be a guy with I/C number ending with the odd number (ending with even number indicates a female, you didn't know???). We called the Returning Officer to check. Upon checking, he found that the lady's I/C indeed has a different number. So, was this a phantom voter?

So happened she brought along her photostated old I/C that showed the same I/C no. with our listing. She claimed that her I/C was replaced with a different no. Why la you didn't go and change your I/C and kept carrying this I/C with the wrong number.

I could only protest but the Returning Officer would have the last say. He allowed her to vote upon signing a declaration stating what she has told us and he took the photocopy of that I/C as proof.

b) A man pushed a lady into the classroom. Pushed what? This lady was on a wheelchair. The man claimed that he was her husband and that he was a registered voter in classroom 2. Now, actually a person on a wheelchair has no problem but then the husband said "She can't speak or write or move".

Ok, now how is she going to vote? My Returning Officer called for the Election Commission Head based at our school and the Head told us (the 2 polling agents) that he would get the husband to sign a declaration form and the husband would be voting on behalf. We two agreed.

In my heart I was crying. Why?
The husband did the followings in order for her vote to be counted:-
i) took the trouble to dress her up
ii) carried her into his car
iii) drove to the polling centre
iv) carried her out and put on wheelchair
v) pushed her to classroom for voting
vi) pushed and carried her back into his car after voting
iii) drove back home
iv) carried her back into the house

One surprise:-
Saw a lady in her bridal gown with her bridesmaid and friends following behind. Peeped further and found out that the bride came to vote in her bridal gown. Of course, she got all the attention. What a dedication! Young girl but she knew what was more important, the 1 vote.

AND SOME MALAYSIANS COULDN'T CARE LESS TO COME OUT TO VOTE! IF YOU AS A MALAYSIAN WHO DIDN'T REGISTER OR VOTE EVEN THOUGH ELIGIBLE, SHAME ON YOU!

This husband knew the importance of that 1 vote. This blog entry is dedicated to this couple and I respect your love for the country and ensured that both of you carried out the responsibility as a Malaysian citizen in whatever circumstances. Was it troublesome for him and the wife? Oh yes!

The lady who got married, no matter how tight was her schedule, squeezed that voting time in between. Was she busy? Oh yes!

Around 11.30am, my lunch box came. Hehehehehe, the Returning Officer asked "Itu saja ke" (english - is that all?). No time to eat as voters kept coming into the classroom. By 12noon plus, my leader called me out and said that he got a temporary replacement for me so that I could take my lunch and rush over to my voting area to cast my vote.

Swallowed my lunch and went back to Taman Desa secondary school. Didn't get to be on duty near my house here as I registered quite late so I was sent to other areas which has lesser workers. Took me 30 minutes to cast my vote (drive there, park, walk into school, check classroom, go to classroom, got ballot paper, knew whom to vote for, drop in ballot paper, walk out of school and drove back to my school).

When I got back, 4 of us sat at the school canteen to chit chat while resting. Our leader told us that in the morning, the classroom 1 has a phantom voter incident.

The old uncle that came in around 9am plus was said to have voted earlier. What happened? He said he was the named person in his I/C. Sorry uncle but you can't vote. Apparently, nobody could recall the phantom voter's face but that phantom voter was guaranteed an old man too. Classroom 1 was for those above 80 years old. Can you believe that? The phantom voter can't be a young guy as that room's listing was for those above 80 years old.

I got back in around 2pm plus. Could see that the dark clouds were forming up in the sky.

to be continued ......... lots more.............

Related post:-
* I am a Polling and Counting Agent in GE12
Tags: Polling Agent, Counting Agent, Malaysia, 12th General Election, Democratic Action Party, DAP, Election Commission, Returning Officer, Phantom Voter