Electoral reform group Bersih slammed the excuses by the Election Commission (EC) in refusing to implement automatic voter registration as "laughable".

"EC chief Mohd Hashim Abdullah's statement is the latest in a slew of laughable excuses from the EC to not implement automatic voter registration, which include a lower voter turnout, a less updated system and adversely affecting the voter objection process, and the issue of voters not living at their addresses as stated in their IC," Bersih said in a statement today.

The Bersih steering committee was responding to Mohd Hashim's statement yesterday that it was not ready to implement automatic voter registration as many issues would arise and it did not want to be blamed for them.