Malaysia decides to grant RI's polling booth request

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 03/14/2009 3:46 PM  

The Malaysian government, reversing its earlier decision,  has decided to allow the Indonesian government to arrange for more polling stations for the coming general elections, Indonesian ambassador to the country Da'i Bacthiar said Saturday. 

“I had received a phone call form Foreign Minister Hassang Wirajuda [telling that] the Malaysian government has allowed us to set poll stations in areas where many Indonesians live,” he said during a dialog with Indonesian residents and political parties representatives at the embassy in Kuala Lumpur, as reported by Antara. 

Da'i said that the embassy predicted that there would be seven more polling booths arranged around Kuala Lumpur. “But it will all depends on how many the Malaysian government allow and how many our overseas election committee can set up,” he said. 

He said that if they set up seven more booths there would 35 booths in total in the country. The overseas committee will set 30 booths in Kuala Lumpur, while 5 others will be set up at the embassy compound, and one each in Johor, Kinabalu City, Tawau, Kuching, and Pulau Pinang. 

The number of eligible Indonesian voters in Malaysia totals 900,000 people, with about half living in the capital. (dre)