Permatang Pauh contains 1,020, or only 1.8%, non-postal voters without house number. But the broader issue is that 1/3 of all Malaysian voters are registered without house number. The government should abolish the SPR-centered voter registration process, and automatically register all adult MyKad-holding citizens, to prevent SPR from introducing registration mistakes, inconsistencies, and delays
This analysis is based on the by-election electoral roll dated 2008 July 31 for P044, Permatang Pauh. You can only verify these cases (voters without house numbers) by using SPR's MS Access formatted electoral roll. The SPR by-election voter verification Web page will not show the voter's house number or NoRumah (which is perhaps a good policy to protect voter privacy).
Table A tells us that:
- Of the 28 voting districts (DMs or Daerah Mengudi) in Permatang Pauh, 4 DMs contain 5% or more voters registered without house number (NoRumah),
- These top 4 DMs by percentage are in the more rural state assembly seat of Penanti,
- The top 4 DMs by number contain 123, 101, 91, and 73 voters without NoRumah.
- There is a total of 1,020 voters in P044 who registered without the house number information,
- Although the overall percentage of 1.8% is small because this is a substantially urbanized parliamentary seat, the absolute number of 1,020 is still more than twice the size of postal voters (490).
- There is another 490 voters who are without house number because they are postal voters. We do not count these postal voters because we can find out precisely where their police stations are located.
- This issue of "voters without house number" is often confused with and compounded by the issue of "many voters registered in the same address," which we will discussed in the next blog entry.
Permatang Pauh P044 - 2008 July 31
| Parl/DUN/ DM | NamaDUN / State Assembly Seat | NamaDM / Voting District | Voters without NoRumah | All Voters | Percent |
| 044/12/04 | Penanti | Mengkuang | 123 | 1,901 | 6.5% |
| 044/12/03 | Penanti | Telok Wang | 32 | 599 | 5.3% |
| 044/12/01 | Penanti | Guar Perahu | 101 | 1,907 | 5.3% |
| 044/12/06 | Penanti | Penanti | 53 | 1,061 | 5.0% |
| 044/10/04 | Seberang Jaya | Kampong Belah Dua | 91 | 2,168 | 4.2% |
| 044/12/07 | Penanti | Kubang Ulu | 48 | 1,400 | 3.4% |
| 044/10/03 | Seberang Jaya | Kampong Pertama | 46 | 1,607 | 2.9% |
| 044/10/07 | Seberang Jaya | Simpang Ampat | 59 | 2,223 | 2.7% |
| 044/11/05 | Permatang Pasir | Kampong Pelet | 43 | 1,750 | 2.5% |
| 044/11/02 | Permatang Pasir | Permatang Ara | 73 | 2,980 | 2.4% |
| 044/11/04 | Permatang Pasir | Bukit Indra Muda | 66 | 2,750 | 2.4% |
| 044/11/06 | Permatang Pasir | Kubang Semang | 34 | 1,424 | 2.4% |
| 044/12/02 | Penanti | Kuala Mengkuang | 61 | 2,727 | 2.2% |
| 044/10/06 | Seberang Jaya | Jalan Bahru | 40 | 2,274 | 1.8% |
| 044/12/08 | Penanti | Sungai Semambu | 21 | 1,872 | 1.1% |
| 044/12/09 | Penanti | Tanah Liat Mukim 9 | 20 | 1,920 | 1.0% |
| 044/12/05 | Penanti | Sungai Lembu | 5 | 509 | 1.0% |
| 044/11/09 | Permatang Pasir | Permatang Tengah | 22 | 2,497 | 0.9% |
| 044/11/01 | Permatang Pasir | Sama Gagah | 19 | 2,774 | 0.7% |
| 044/10/01 | Seberang Jaya | Jalan Sembilang | 19 | 2,933 | 0.6% |
| 044/12/10 | Penanti | Berapit Road | 9 | 1,461 | 0.6% |
| 044/11/07 | Permatang Pasir | Tanah Liat Mukim 8 | 10 | 2,175 | 0.5% |
| 044/11/08 | Permatang Pasir | Kampong Cross Street 2 | 6 | 2,179 | 0.3% |
| 044/10/09 | Seberang Jaya | Taman Tun Hussein Onn | 5 | 2,127 | 0.2% |
| 044/11/03 | Permatang Pasir | Permatang Pauh | 3 | 1,759 | 0.2% |
| 044/10/02 | Seberang Jaya | Seberang Jaya II | 5 | 2,966 | 0.2% |
| 044/10/08 | Seberang Jaya | Jalan Tuna | 3 | 2,926 | 0.1% |
| 044/10/05 | Seberang Jaya | Seberang Jaya I | 3 | 3,100 | 0.1% |
| P044 | Total for non-postal voters | 1,020 | 57,969 | 1.8% | |
| P044 | Postal voters | 490 | |||
| P044 | Total voters | 58,459 |
Table B zooms into more details at the "locality" or street level:
- There are 414 localities in P044 for non-postal voters. There are another 6 postal localities. A "lokaliti" is usually a street, and sometimes defined by SPR as crudely as a village address such as kampong and mukim. Postal localities include army camps, navy base, air force base or school, police station, and overseas voters location.
- 123 of these 414 civililan localities contain at least 1 voter who registered without house number.
- Table B selects only 57 out of these 123 localities - only those localities containing 5 or more voters who register without house number.
- The 6 largest such localities contain 60, 47, 39, 33, 32, 32 voters without house number, and are highlighted in red below.
- Looking under the "NamaLokaliti / Locality Name" column, it would seem SPR has registered these voters with only up to their "kampong" and "mukim" details.
- Why does SPR not register their specific street address and house number, when the same localities do contain other voters with house numbers? For example Pmtg Nibong contains 330-60=270 voters with house numbers.
- Does it mean many kampongs in Permatang Pauh still do not have street names and house numbers?
- Who omitted the street details? Does the omission of house number occur at the NRIC department, or when the voters registered at SPR which omitted address details printed on MyKad?
- Who should be responsible for the lack of house number and street-specific information?
- Should it be the government, for not developing the street infrastructure?
- Should it be the NRIC, for not recording all available details in MyKad?
- Should it be the SPR, for not registering all available details from MyKad in the electoral roll?
- If election observers can prove (by photocopied ICs) that there is a large number of voters whose ICs indeed show detailed address and house numbers, but whose voter registrations do not show house numbers, then we can make a strong case to make all voter registrations automatic, based on MyKad and NRIC database.
- If the lack of street address and house number is due to poor rural development and planning, then how can the government deliver high-quality education, health service, postal service, electricity supply, and allow private sector to supply broadband Internet service, banking and finance services that will lift the quality of life for these rural voters?
- If a highly urbanized location such as Permatang Pauh still has this problem, how about the states with over 50% voters without house numbers?
- Which ever authority is responsible, wouldn't it be better to eliminate SPR as another layer of bureaucracy that can introduce omission, mistakes, inconsistencies, and update delay?
- Why not automatically register all 21-year-old citizen with MyKad as voters?
Permatang Pauh P044 - 2008 July 31
| Parl/DUN/ DM/Lokaliti | NamaDUN / State Assembly Seat | NamaDM / Voting District | Nama Lokaliti / Locality Name | Voters without No Rumah | All Voters | Percent |
| 044/10/04/001 | Seberang Jaya | Kampong Belah Dua | Pmtg Nibong | 60 | 330 | 18.2% |
| 044/12/07/001 | Penanti | Kubang Ulu | Kubang Ulu Mk 20 | 47 | 1,241 | 3.8% |
| 044/12/04/006 | Penanti | Mengkuang | Mengkuang Titi Mk 19 | 39 | 682 | 5.7% |
| 044/10/07/002 | Seberang Jaya | Simpang Ampat | Ptg Rawa Mk7 | 33 | 746 | 4.4% |
| 044/12/06/005 | Penanti | Penanti | Pondok Penanti Mk 20 | 32 | 142 | 22.5% |
| 044/12/04/003 | Penanti | Mengkuang | Mengkuang Mk 19 | 32 | 298 | 10.7% |
| 044/11/05/004 | Permatang Pasir | Kampong Pelet | Kg Pelet Mk 3 | 31 | 960 | 3.2% |
| 044/12/02/002 | Penanti | Kuala Mengkuang | Mk 20 Kuala Mengkuang | 30 | 438 | 6.8% |
| 044/11/06/001 | Permatang Pasir | Kubang Semang | Kubang Semang Mk 5 | 27 | 1,007 | 2.7% |
| 044/10/03/004 | Seberang Jaya | Kampong Pertama | Kampong Besar | 24 | 145 | 16.6% |
| 044/11/04/001 | Permatang Pasir | Bukit Indra Muda | Bt Indra Muda Mk 3 | 23 | 869 | 2.6% |
| 044/12/01/004 | Penanti | Guar Perahu | Kampong Terus Mk 21 | 22 | 191 | 11.5% |
| 044/12/01/002 | Penanti | Guar Perahu | Mk 21 Guar Jering B M | 22 | 501 | 4.4% |
| 044/12/01/006 | Penanti | Guar Perahu | Mk 21 Padang Ibu | 20 | 279 | 7.2% |
| 044/11/04/004 | Permatang Pasir | Bukit Indra Muda | Bt Indra Muda Mk 5 | 20 | 698 | 2.9% |
| 044/10/03/001 | Seberang Jaya | Kampong Pertama | Kampong Pertama Mk 4 | 20 | 1,338 | 1.5% |
| 044/12/02/003 | Penanti | Kuala Mengkuang | Mk 20 Mengkuang Mak Sulong | 17 | 332 | 5.1% |
| 044/10/06/007 | Seberang Jaya | Jalan Bahru | Misjid Timah Mk 6 | 16 | 239 | 6.7% |
| 044/11/02/013 | Permatang Pasir | Permatang Ara | Pmtg Pasir Mk 3 | 16 | 578 | 2.8% |
| 044/12/03/004 | Penanti | Telok Wang | Telok Wang Mk 19 | 15 | 222 | 6.8% |
| 044/12/01/003 | Penanti | Guar Perahu | Mk 21 Guar Perahu B M | 15 | 548 | 2.7% |
| 044/12/06/004 | Penanti | Penanti | Penanti Mk 20 | 15 | 603 | 2.5% |
| 044/12/09/003 | Penanti | Tanah Liat Mukim 9 | Tanah Liat Mk 9 | 15 | 1,548 | 1.0% |
| 044/10/06/001 | Seberang Jaya | Jalan Bahru | Jln Baharu | 14 | 606 | 2.3% |
| 044/10/04/002 | Seberang Jaya | Kampong Belah Dua | Kampong Pertama Mk 6 | 14 | 783 | 1.8% |
| 044/12/08/002 | Penanti | Sungai Semambu | Kubang Semang Mk 20 | 14 | 1,143 | 1.2% |
| 044/12/04/005 | Penanti | Mengkuang | Mengkuang Sg Lembu Mk 19 | 13 | 147 | 8.8% |
| 044/12/04/007 | Penanti | Mengkuang | Simpang Tiga Mk 18 | 13 | 187 | 7.0% |
| 044/11/02/005 | Permatang Pasir | Permatang Ara | Kg Kota Mk 3 | 13 | 312 | 4.2% |
| 044/12/04/002 | Penanti | Mengkuang | Mengkuang Mk 18 | 13 | 334 | 3.9% |
| 044/11/09/003 | Permatang Pasir | Permatang Tengah | Pmtg Tengah Mk 4 | 13 | 1,253 | 1.0% |
| 044/11/01/004 | Permatang Pasir | Sama Gagah | Kg Sama Gagah Mk 2 | 13 | 2,007 | 0.6% |
| 044/10/07/004 | Seberang Jaya | Simpang Ampat | Permatang Batu Mk7 | 12 | 440 | 2.7% |
| 044/10/01/001 | Seberang Jaya | Jalan Sembilang | Kg Bagan Serai | 11 | 740 | 1.5% |
| 044/12/02/004 | Penanti | Kuala Mengkuang | Mk 20 Padang Ibu | 10 | 164 | 6.1% |
| 044/11/02/003 | Permatang Pasir | Permatang Ara | Sg Sintok Mk 2 | 10 | 171 | 5.8% |
| 044/12/03/002 | Penanti | Telok Wang | Kg Lalang Mk 19 | 9 | 34 | 26.5% |
| 044/10/06/009 | Seberang Jaya | Jalan Bahru | Kg Setol Mk 6 | 9 | 325 | 2.8% |
| 044/10/04/005 | Seberang Jaya | Kampong Belah Dua | Kg Belah Dua | 9 | 348 | 2.6% |
| 044/11/04/005 | Permatang Pasir | Bukit Indra Muda | Kg Petani Mk 5 | 9 | 428 | 2.1% |
| 044/11/09/002 | Permatang Pasir | Permatang Tengah | Pmtg Janggus Mk 4 | 9 | 1,042 | 0.9% |
| 044/12/01/005 | Penanti | Guar Perahu | Mk 21 Padang Buloh | 8 | 77 | 10.4% |
| 044/11/04/002 | Permatang Pasir | Bukit Indra Muda | Kg Petani Mk 3 | 8 | 453 | 1.8% |
| 044/12/04/004 | Penanti | Mengkuang | Mengkuang Sg Lembu Mk 18 | 7 | 122 | 5.7% |
| 044/12/01/007 | Penanti | Guar Perahu | Padang Temusu Mk 21 | 7 | 188 | 3.7% |
| 044/11/02/012 | Permatang Pasir | Permatang Ara | Pmtg Pasir Mk 2 | 7 | 467 | 1.5% |
| 044/11/05/005 | Permatang Pasir | Kampong Pelet | Kg Pelet Mk 21 | 6 | 87 | 6.9% |
| 044/11/02/007 | Permatang Pasir | Permatang Ara | Pengkalan Tambang Mk 2 | 6 | 254 | 2.4% |
| 044/11/06/003 | Permatang Pasir | Kubang Semang | Sg Semambu Mk 5 | 6 | 405 | 1.5% |
| 044/10/07/003 | Seberang Jaya | Simpang Ampat | Padang Lalang Mk 7 | 6 | 499 | 1.2% |
| 044/12/08/003 | Penanti | Sungai Semambu | Sg Semambu Mk 20 | 6 | 600 | 1.0% |
| 044/12/10/003 | Penanti | Berapit Road | Kg Tanah Liat Mk 9 | 6 | 816 | 0.7% |
| 044/12/04/008 | Penanti | Mengkuang | Mp Tuanku Bainun | 5 | 21 | 23.8% |
| 044/12/09/002 | Penanti | Tanah Liat Mukim 9 | Sg Ara Mk 9 | 5 | 38 | 13.2% |
| 044/12/05/001 | Penanti | Sungai Lembu | Sungai Lembu Village Mk 18 | 5 | 509 | 1.0% |
| 044/10/04/004 | Seberang Jaya | Kampong Belah Dua | Taman Hj. Mohd Amin | 5 | 656 | 0.8% |
| 044/11/07/004 | Permatang Pasir | Tanah Liat Mukim 8 | Tanah Liat Mk 8 | 5 | 1,284 | 0.4% |
SPR's inconsistent and non-sensical house number inputs. Tables C, D, and E show us that:
- SPR has input house numbers in very inconsistent, sometimes non-sensical, ways.
- Table C shows that, of all the voters in Permatang Pauh without house number, 976 have their house number input as a blank (nothing), while 46 have them input as "-" (hyphen).
- Worse, for the whole country's electoral roll gazetted on 2008 Feb 5, there were at least 29 ways to input "blank or without" house numbers, ranging from blank to "tiada," "null," "00," 3 asterisks, 10 hyphens, underscore, ampersand, equal sign, etc. See this link for a table of details.
Permatang Pauh P044 - 2008 July 31
| Blank address variations | Count |
| [nothing] | 974 |
| - | 46 |
| Total non-postal | 1,020 |
| Postal | 490 |
| Total | 1,510 |
- Table D shows that, in Permatang Pauh alone, SPR uses a variety of formats for the short-form of "Number," followed by varying punctuation, space or lack of space, etc, even though it could have been skipped completely.
- The immediate impact of these inconsistencies is that it becomes very difficult for NGOs, and even SPR itself, to check for the number of voters who share the same address.
Permatang Pauh P044 - 2008 July 31
| Variations of "No." | Comments |
| N | |
| N0 | N followed by zero |
| NO | |
| N0. | N followed by zero and period |
| NO. | |
| NO . | NO followed by space and then period |
| NO, | |
| NO- | |
| NO.99 | No space after NO. |
| NO12 | No space after NO |
| NO:10 | No space after NO: |
| NO;6 | No space after NO; |
- Table E shows that, in Permatang Pauh alone, SPR inputs some house numbers almost accidentally, inlcuding quotation marks, locality information (Mk), etc.
- To verify the cases in Table E, for example, you can look into SPR's electoral roll in MS Access or PDF format for 2008 July 31, under the Kodlokaliti+NoSiri listed below. The SPR Web site "Semakan" page does not publish the house number (NoRumah).
Permatang Pauh P044 - 2008 July 31
| Variations of "No." | Kodlokaliti (Example) | NoSiri (Example) | Comments |
| ''258 MK 20''' | 044/12/07/001 | 1231 | Three pairs of single quotes |
| '18' | 044/11/05/007 | 1247 | One pair of single quote |
| '6557 MUKIM 7' | 044/11/07/003 | 2067 | One single quote, plus MUKIM or MK |
| 'NO 1194' | 044/12/02/002 | 2585 | One single quote, plus NO |
| 02=09-B | 044/10/09/005 | 1491 | Equal sign in the middle |
| NO-1828 | 044/10/05/008 | 2881 | NO and negative sign (hyphen) in front |
| NO.19 | 044/10/08/010 | 255 | NO and period in front (several) |
| 0-4-08 | 044/10/02/008 | 775 | 0- in front |
| 01 | 044/10/06/002 | 1117 | 0 in front of a digit (several) |
| 01-01 | 044/10/09/012 | 1816 | 0 in front of 2 numbers (several) |
Conclusion
- These are additional inconsistencies that came from either NRIC or the SPR.
- Wouldn't it be better to expose only one agency (NRIC) to such procedural mistakes and inconsistencies?
- Wouldn't it be better that voter registration procedures be streamlined and automated under NRIC Department, and the problem isolated and corrected under this agency alone, while making NRIC more transparent and accountable to the parliament?
- This will shift the focus on information quality to the National Registration of IC Department, and prevent SPR from introducing an additional layer of voter registration mistakes, inconsistencies, and delays.
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