Several Malaysians working in Singapore were unable to cast their ballots in the Johor state election after their employers allegedly refused to grant them leave.
The voters said that while they understood their responsibility as Malaysian citizens, work commitments and unpredictable traffic conditions at the Johor Causeway made it difficult for them to return in time.
Missed several elections due to work
One of the affected voters, V. Rabindran, 35, said this was not the first time he had missed an election because of work.
Reported by Utusan, he claimed that his employer had repeatedly refused to allow him to take leave throughout his time working in Singapore.
Throughout my time working in Singapore, I have missed the opportunity to vote several times because my employer did not allow me to take leave,” he said.
Rabindran hoped employers in Singapore could offer Malaysian workers more flexibility during elections.
He added that workers would be willing to follow reasonable conditions if they were allowed to return home to vote.
“Perhaps employers could offer some flexibility to Malaysian workers in the republic so that they can fulfil their responsibilities. We are willing to accept any reasonable conditions,” he said.
Allowed to leave early, but no leave granted
Another voter, Resmond Wong, 45, said his employer did not allow Malaysian employees to take the day off due to a shortage of staff.
However, they were permitted to finish work earlier than usual.
Wong said the arrangement still did not guarantee that he would be able to reach Johor in time, as traffic conditions at the Johor Causeway were difficult to predict.
“I understand that voting is my responsibility as a Malaysian citizen, but our employer did not allow us to take leave because they were short of staff,” he said.
“Although we were allowed to leave work earlier than usual, traffic at the Johor Causeway is unpredictable.”
Plans to apply for leave earlier next time
Meanwhile, Azizul Rahman, 30, said he would apply for annual leave as soon as the date of the next election is announced.
Although he was unable to vote in the Johor state election this time, he hopes to make better arrangements for the next general election.
“For the next general election, I will apply for annual leave earlier, as soon as the election date is announced,” he said.
Azizul also clarified that not all Malaysians working in Singapore faced the same problem.
He said some of his friends were allowed to take leave by their respective employers to return to Malaysia and vote.
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