NEW PROCEDURE:   Purple dye will turn brown  when used on finger

KUALA BESUT: THE Election Commission (EC) yesterday  demonstrated  here  how the indelible ink would be used in the upcoming Kuala Besut  by-election.

EC Election Academy director Abdullah Jusoh said voters needed to dip their  left index fingers into the ink before collecting their ballot papers.

“If they refuse to do so, they will not be allowed to vote,” he said after  the demonstration at the Kuala Besut district office here.

Abdullah said he was confident that all polling clerks and presiding  officers had been briefed on the new procedure and would discharge their duties  efficiently on polling day.

Three members of media who volunteered for the exercise said the ink on  their fingers did not come off after washing.

Instead, the colour of the ink on their hands, which was originally dark  purple, turned into a shade of brown, which is an added feature of the new  indelible ink.

This is the first time voters will be dipping their fingers into the  indelible ink bottle. During the 13th General Election, polling clerks applied  the ink to the forefingers of voters using a brush.

A Pas official present at the demonstration, Wan Azhar Wan Ahmad, said he  hoped the indelible ink used was of high quality and would not come off  easily.

The Kuala Besut by-election, which will be held on Wednesday, was called  following the death of assemblyman Dr A. Rahman Mokhtar because of lung cancer a  month earlier.

In a statement yesterday, EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said  samples of the indelible ink that would be used on polling day had been sent to  the Chemistry Department for tests.

“We have also had discussions with the Health Ministry to ensure that the  ink is not hazardous to health.”

He also reminded voters to use the pens provided to mark their ballot papers  and not the ink on their fingers.

“Also, please ensure that your fingers are not oily when you dip it into the  bottle. Leave the finger to dry for at least 30 seconds.”

Malays make up 98.71 per cent of voters in Kuala Besut, while Chinese make  up 0.80 per cent; Indians 0.08 per cent; and, others 0.41 per cent.

Members of the security forces and their spouses will cast their ballot  tomorrow, ahead of polling day.

-NST