PAS Youth has expressed shock over the Election Commission having 240,000 of its officers registered as postal voters, and declared that the staff number is huge and will make a big impact on the 13 ^th general election.

PAS information chief Ridhuan Mohd Nor today questioned the need to register such a huge number of people under the EC as postal voters.

"The EC should have a limit on its officers registered as postal voters so as not to affect electoral results. In the country's general elections history, postal votes are seen as a winning factor, for they can change the course of the election result.

"This number does not include the existing postal voters from the police, military and their spouses. With such a huge amount, it will further increase the prejudice of the people against EC as wanting to ensure victory of a particular party or coalition, which has happened like before," Ridhuan said.

He said the people would suspect that the same modus operandi could be used in the coming 13 ^th general election in order to prevent the defeat of a party or coaltion, and that this could be seen to be a desperate move on the part of the ruling coalition.

PAS Youth hopes that the EC will reduce the number of its officers casting postal votes as this can result in continuous suspicion of the commission.

"The EC should be transparent and fair in conducting the 13 ^th general election. The voters cannot stand to be cheated in this election," Ridhuan said in a statement.

Bersih donation drive for suspended students

On another matter, the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) strongly condemned the BN government of Terengganu for revoking scholarships to nine students who took part in the Bersih 2.0 peaceful assembly on July 9 last year.

"The action taken by the Terengganu state government is not only oppressive. It violates the rights of the students to assemble peacefully, as enshrined under the federal constitution.

"In doing so, the Terengganu government has also denied the students' right to education as enshrined in Article 12. More importantly, it makes no sense of the prime minister's recent announcement that the government was liberalising its stand to public assemblies."

In its statement today, the Bersih steering committee said it also wished to reassure the students they were not alone.

"We offer our assistance to them in securing legal help and are prepared to take steps to raise funds to assist the students as best we can.

"Bersih 2.0 calls on other state governments to lend their asssistance to these students and their families. Many Malaysians stand ready to help," the statement added