New Voter registration

There was a state-wide New Voter registration exercise in Penang last Saturday, totally carried by volunteers stationed at various places in the state. According to one of my friends, Long Kin, the objective of this exercise was to bring on board those people who are eligible to vote but haven't been able to register themselves with the Elections Commission for one reason or another. Normally, these would mean the newly eligible ones who have crossed the age of 21 but the exercise was also targeted at older people who hadn't registered in the past.

My daughter was one of those who have just crossed this age threshold and it was just coincidental that she was back in Bukit Mertajam for the weekend. So my wife took her to the Insasdunia food court first thing on Saturday morning.

I hear that the registration exercise was very well received in Penang but I also heard that the Elections Commission could not give enough forms to the organisers. What a disappointment. Anyway, I only hope that there'll be a similar programme again soon and the people who missed the opportunity last weekend will come to register and make their voices and votes count in the next general elections.