Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said the EC remained committed to ensuring that elections were accessible to all segments of society, particularly persons with disabilities.
PETALING JAYA: The Election Commission (EC) has introduced dedicated voting channels, accessible polling facilities and assisted voting arrangements to make Malaysia’s electoral process more inclusive and accessible for persons with disabilities (PwDs).
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said the EC remained committed to ensuring that elections were accessible to all segments of society, particularly persons with disabilities.
In a written parliamentary reply to William Leong Jee Keen (PH-Selayang), who asked about the government’s efforts to improve election accessibility for persons with disabilities, Azalina outlined several measures covering physical accessibility, voting assistance and inclusive access to information.
She said the EC had designated a special voting lane for persons with disabilities and senior citizens, which is typically located at Channel 1 in every polling centre.
“These lanes are situated on the ground floor to facilitate easier movement and eliminate the need to use stairs.
“For voters with visual or physical disabilities who require assistance in marking their ballot papers, the EC allows them to be assisted by a person they trust, as provided for under Regulation 19(10) of the Election (Conduct of Elections) Regulations 1981,” she said.
She added that the EC had also incorporated a special training module into its briefing sessions for election workers to ensure they were sensitive to the needs of persons with disabilities and equipped with the appropriate knowledge and skills to provide assistance at polling centres.
She said that at polling stations with large compounds or where voting channels were located far from the main entrance, the EC provided dedicated transport services, including buggy cars, wheelchairs and specially designated vehicles, to ferry persons with disabilities and senior citizens directly to their assigned voting channels.
Azalina said these initiatives reflected the EC’s commitment to ensuring that every eligible voter, regardless of physical ability, could participate in the electoral process with greater ease, dignity and accessibility.
