KUCHING: Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) supported calls for Sabahans residing and working in Malaya be allowed to votes on the coming Sabah state elections through postal voting.
PBDS president Dr John Brian Anthony: Voting is not a privilege, but a right protected by the constitution.
Its president Dr John Brian Anthony said the voting rights of Sabahans in Malaya must respected.
He said PBDS acknowledges the recent public calls urging Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the Election Commission (EC) to extend postal voting facilities to Sabahan voters currently residing or working in Malaya.
“We therefore urge the EC and federal government to explore and implement a mechanism for postal or remote voting for Sabahan voters in Malaya before the next state or general elections,” he said in a statement.
He said that voting is not a privilege, but a right protected by the constitution.
He added upholding that right for every Malaysian, regardless of where they are temporarily residing, is the true measure of our democratic maturity.
“PBDS stands with all efforts that advance the constitutional rights and democratic inclusion of every citizen, Sabahans, Sarawakians, and all Malaysians alike.
“Although PBDS is a Sarawak-based political party and does not operate in Sabah, we stand by the fundamental principle that voting is a constitutional right which must be accessible, fair, and inclusive for every Malaysian citizen, regardless of where they live or work within the federation,” he stressed.
He emphasised that it is a matter of constitutional equality for all eligible Malaysians to cast votes in every election and a right to choose the government.
He added that Article 119 of the Federal Constitution guarantees the rights of every eligible citizen to vote in the constituency where they are registered.
“The spirit of this Article is clear that no citizen should be effectively disenfranchised due to geography or economic circumstance.
“If a Sabahan is working in Malaya but remains a registered voter in Sabah, the system should provide a reasonable and secure mechanism, such as postal voting, for them to exercise that right,” John stressed.
Saying that it is a practical step to strengthening democracy, he said that PBDS views this not as a partisan issue but as a democratic housekeeping matter.
He said allowing postal voting for Sabahans in Malaya would strengthen the legitimacy of election outcomes, increase voter participation, and uphold Malaysia’s constitutional promise of equal access to the ballot box.
John believed that the EC already possesses the regulatory framework for various postal voting categories, adding that extending it to cover domestic inter-state voters is therefore not a constitutional leap, but an administrative refinement in the spirit of fairness.
He said PBDS recognises that Sabah’s electoral administration falls within its own state and federal jurisdiction, stating that the party does not seek to interfere or comment on the political affairs of Sabah.
“However, as a Sarawak party that values the integrity of democratic participation across all Bornean states, we echo the calls for the federal and election authorities to act swiftly and judiciously,” he said.
“From a broader Bornean standpoint, this issue reminds us that the unity of Malaysia is strengthened when rights are applied fairly to all regions.
“When Sabahans or Sarawakians living in Malaya can participate fully in elections back home, it reinforces not only democracy but also the spirit of equal partnership enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63),” he said.
John stressed that PBDS supports any policy that strengthens access to democratic rights, transparency, and fairness in electoral participation.
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