Digital voting plan for Umno polls rejected

The digital voting system may not be used in the Umno elections as almost 90 per cent of the candidate agents have rejected it.

Umno executive secretary BrigGen (R) Datuk Husainay Hashim said however, the final decision would be made by the Umno Management Committee headed by Umno Deputy President Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

"We decided to introduce the digital ballot to the representatives today but almost 90 of them were not in favour of the idea.

"So we will revert to the manual vote counting system and like in previous elections, the results will be known late," he told reporters after attending a briefing on the digital voting here on Friday.

The party's Election Committee headed by Tan Sri Samsuddin Osman decided to discontinue the dry run of the electronic system rented from Angkatan Koperasi Kebangsaan Malaysia Berhad after a dialogue with the agents.

Husainay said the agents did not want delegates, who had voted for the wrong candidates, to correct their mistakes or to change their minds during the elections.

"If it's wrong, it's wrong. They also want the ballot papers to be displayed especially the spoilt votes.

"We will do that but we will ensure that the delegates and agents will not get too close to the election workers to avoid suspicion and disturbing the process," he said.

He said the Election Committee also accepted a request that delegates could either put a cross or right marks for the candidates of their choice on the ballot papers.

On whether Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Norza Zakaria, who was charged this morning in Temerloh for alleged involvement in money politics, could contest in the elections, he said:

"It's not fair to comment. We have to wait for the black and white before making any decision," he said.

A total of 269 candidates are vying for the supreme council executive committee posts of the three wings of the party.