Malaysia Polls Stained by Ink Row

Voters' complaints of fading indelible ink used to stain their fingers threaten to leave their mark on Malaysia's election.

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Complaints that the indelible ink used at polling stations isn't completely indelible may leave their mark on Malaysia's showdown parliamentary election.

The ink is used to mark the fingers of voters.

It's intended to stop them voting more than once.

But some say they've been able to remove the ink easily.

[Tan, Voter]:
"I wash it with Dettol and the ink all came off. It should not come off, according to the authority. It's not a problem for me but what I think, there will be a lot of fraud will be perpetrated as a result of the removal of this ink."

Similar concerns were raised by security forces who voted ahead of Sunday's main polling day.

But the deputy head of Malaysia's election commission insists the ink isn't the only safeguard against voting fraud.

[Ahmad Omar, Election Commission Deputy Chairman]:
"Names only register once. Once a person is registered, if it get detergent or whatever to prove the point, but his name you cannot find anywhere else. There is only one name registered."

Any hint of fraud would be damaging in what's expected to be Malaysia's closest parliamentary election in national history.

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