Indonesian Ambassador Wants PPLN To Ensure Elections In Malaysia Are Smooth

Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia Hermono explained the progress of the 2024 General Election in Kuala Lumpur, Monday (22/1/2024). BETWEEN ANTARA/Virna P. Setyorini

JAKARTA The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Indonesia to Malaysia Hermono warned the Kuala Lumpur Foreign Election Committee (PPLN) to ensure that the 2024 General Election in Malaysia on February 11 went smoothly.

"Don't let the election be canceled nationally because of Kuala Lumpur. You have been reminded many times. Remember, the election in Malaysia was 3 days before Indonesia. If on February 11, 2024, it was chaotic first, what effect would it have on Jakarta?" Hermono said as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, January 22.

Hermono said the 2024 General Election in Malaysia has always been a concern because the large number of voters remains overseas (DPTLN).

According to him, if the chaos of elections occurs in North Korea, maybe people don't really see it. However, if confusion over the implementation of general elections occurs in Malaysia, the impact will be much greater than if it happens in other countries.

PPLN Kuala Lumpur set a voting day in its working area on Sunday, February 11, 2024. It is planned that they will provide 223 overseas polling stations (TPSLN) for 222,945 people in the DPTLN to channel voting rights at the Kuala Lumpur World Trade Center (WTC).

So far, his party has been monitoring the performance of PPLN and the Overseas Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) Kuala Lumpur to ensure that the 2024 General Election in Malaysia is in accordance with the schedule of the General Election Commission (KPU).

According to him, indications of the delay in the election in Kuala Lumpur have been seen, one of which is proven by sending ballots for postal methods that have not been completed to this day, which should have been in accordance with the KPU schedule, all of which have been sent on January 11, 2024.

Hermono emphasized that it is necessary to improve the way and pattern of PPLN's work in Kuala Lumpur so that it can avoid potential noise.

In the near future, there will be a mobile ballot box (KSK) voting starting February 4.

It was explained that all of them had been well prepared from ballot boxes, officers, to cars to use.

"However, it was they who did it again," he said.

"Yes, the same as the post method, I asked for the post at that time if I'm not mistaken on January 1 or 2, and I asked H-2 to be ready to leave," he continued.

However, according to him, until now it has not been completed, even though the deadline is until January 11.

"I asked that on January 9 it must be sent after it has been sent, it turns out that it has not yet been completed," said Hermono.

According to Hermono, his party has provided recommendations related to the current conditions for the 2024 election which require drastic urgent action in Kuala Lumpur to the KPU since December 2023.

However, he continued, there were no serious steps to overcome it so that the election target in Malaysia could run well.

It is also reminded not to let the problems that arise in the mass media, which occur in Malaysia, be considered mediocre. If there are no drastic steps, according to him, the potential for disturbances to the smooth running of elections there is very likely to occur.

Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia, said Hermono, clearly cannot take or intervene in PPLN's work because only the KPU can take action. It can only monitor what the election committee does.

PPLN Kuala Lumpur has set a total of 447,258 Kuala Lumpur DPTLN, 222,945 of which will vote at TPSLN, 156,367 voters using postal methods, and the remaining 67,946 people will choose the mobile ballot box method (KSK).