Malaysian Consulate Says Johor Polls Information Was Shared In Hong Kong

KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 (Bernama) -- The Consulate General of Malaysia in Hong Kong said it had implemented a proactive communication strategy during the recent Johor state election, including consistently publishing advisories and instructional materials across its official platforms.

Consul General of Malaysia in Hong Kong Muzambli Markam, responding to a media report suggesting that overseas Malaysian postal voters were hindered by a lack of awareness, said the mission had also collaborated closely with the Malaysian Association of Hong Kong (MAHK) to disseminate updates on registration windows.

“The premise that overseas Malaysians are hindered by a lack of awareness overlooks our extensive local outreach.

“This includes consistently publishing advisories and instructional materials across our official platforms, as well as collaborating closely with the MAHK to disseminate updates on registration windows and encourage active civic participation,” he said in a letter to the editor-in-chief of the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

The letter was in response to an article titled “Malaysians in Hong Kong locked out of state elections amid tight voting deadlines”, which was published on the SCMP website on July 9 and in its print edition the following day.

Muzambli said the Consulate had explicitly informed the publication's journalist that it had implemented the proactive communication strategy specifically for the state elections.

The consul general also took issue with the article's headline, saying it grossly misrepresented the ongoing efforts of the Election Commission (EC), in particular, and the Malaysian government, in general, to promote and facilitate Malaysians in exercising their constitutional right to vote.

“While we appreciate SCMP’s interest in Malaysian current affairs, the article unfortunately omitted crucial context provided by this Consulate General prior to publication, resulting in an inaccurate and misleading narrative,” he said.

Meanwhile, Muzambli said the article suggested that the Consulate's lack of local voter statistics indicated an administrative shortcoming.

However, he said the EC had modernised and digitised the overseas voting registration process, enabling Malaysians abroad to submit applications directly through the centralised MySPR online portal.

“The Consulate deliberately does not act as an intermediary in this digital workflow. This direct-to-system approach is a deliberate feature of a streamlined and secure electoral process, not an administrative flaw,” he said.

Muzambli said the Malaysian government remained fully committed to facilitating the democratic rights of its citizens overseas through efficient digital infrastructure and active diplomatic engagement.

-- BERNAMA

Malaysian Consulate Says Johor Polls Information Was Shared In Hong Kong

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