Johor DAP lost its objections yesterday against the transfer of 1,051 army voters to the Segamat camp, which is still under construction.
In a statement released today, Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching said that following the rejection of the objections, the Election Commission (EC) imposed a penalty of RM100 per objected voter, which was later increased to RM150 per person.
After filing the objections last month, DAP had raised funds to cover the costs of objecting towards the names found in the 2017 third quarter Supplementary Electoral Roll (RDPT), which had been put on display from Oct 25 to Nov 6.
DAP had argued that there was no justification for registering new voters in the current third quarter's electoral roll, especially in a camp which is yet to be completed.
An individual who wishes to register an objection with the EC will have to pay a fee, and if the objection is rejected, an additional cost of up to RM200 can be imposed.
The rejection of the objections means that DAP has to pay the EC RM157,650 - far more than the RM10,000 it had raised for the eventuality of losing their bid.
Teo added that the military "turned out in full force, with their spouse and kids, in buses", for the public hearing on the matter by the EC yesterday.
"Which made me wonder. If they really stayed in Segamat, why do they need to come in buses? Some of them were even carrying luggage,” she said.
According to Teo, the EC refused to give DAP the report of the public hearing, unless the penalty was paid on the spot. The deadline was later extended to 4pm.
"The fact is, they have no right to do so. They have no right to impose a deadline for the payment or to withhold the documents. They are not only giving special treatment to the Ministry of Defence, but they are also abusing their power.
"To all the army personnel who were made to travel to Segamat, I am truly sorry for the inconvenience caused. It is nothing personal."
Teo then called for all Malaysians who love their country to try, in their own ways, to improve electoral integrity, especially in light of the impending general election.
