KUCHING: Sarawakians staying in Malaya are advised not to change the address on their identity cards to the place where they currently reside.
Parti Aspirasi Rakyat Sarawak (Aspirasi) president Lina Soo said this was because once they change their residential address, their voting station would be different.
She was commenting on a statement from Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law) Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin asking Sarawakians residing in Malaya to change their address to the place of residence.
She said this was because postal votes were not allowed for Sarawakians staying in Malaya – her statement was reported in a national daily.
Soo pointed out that Mas Ermieyati’s suggestion was inappropriate and misguided.
“Why is it important to keep your Sarawak address on your identity card? This is because your voting station is determined according to your place of residence in your card.
“Once your voting address is changed to an address in Malaya, you lose your right to come back to Sarawak to exercise your voting right.”
Soo added that if Sarawak were to have a referendum on any issue, such as on self-determination, Sarawakians with registered address and polling station in Malaya, would forfeit their right to come home to vote.
“Any Sarawakian living anywhere in the world still has a say over the political future of their birthplace.
“Thus they must not trade in their birth right by changing their address to a Malaya address which will deprive them of their right to come home to vote for Sarawak’s future.”
