By Christine T
KUCHING, Nov 6: The Election Commission (EC) will provide Starlink satellite internet connectivity at polling areas to support the implementation of its Optical Character Recognition – Voter Attendance (OCR-VA) system in Sarawak, including rural and remote locations with limited internet access.
Assistant Director for Strategic Communications of the Election Academy, Nomi Juliana Mohd Redzuan Min, said the satellite connectivity would help ensure the system could be tested across Sarawak’s diverse geographical conditions, particularly in areas where conventional internet coverage remains a challenge.
Speaking during the Media Briefing on the Sarawak Election 2026 here today, she said the EC was also equipped with an offline mode that would allow attendance data to be stored when there was no internet connection and uploaded once connectivity became available.
“In every area, we will provide Starlink. We will try,” she said, explaining that the EC was preparing connectivity support as part of its efforts to test the system.
She said Sarawak was considered an ideal testing ground because of its many remote inland settlements, islands, and other geographically challenging areas.
The OCR-VA system is designed to replace the time-consuming manual process of recording voter attendance with digital scanning of voters’ 12-digit identity card numbers.
Under the system, attendance data can be captured in real time, allowing the EC to monitor voter turnout every second instead of relying on hourly manual counts.
Nomi explained that previously, election officials had to manually review voter registers after polling to compile turnout statistics, including breakdowns by gender and other demographic categories.
With OCR-VA, officials could capture the information digitally, potentially improving the speed and efficiency of election data collection.
However, she stressed that the system is still undergoing testing and will not immediately replace existing election procedures.
Polling staff will continue checking voters’ names against the electoral roll and calling out their names as required under current regulations.
She said the EC had previously conducted a pilot test at a polling school in Negeri Sembilan, involving seven channels, to determine the most suitable stage of the voting process for scanning voters’ identity cards.
The testing found that scanning at the second polling clerk’s counter was the most suitable point for recording attendance.
During the Sarawak election, the EC would provide phone holders, power banks, and cables for polling clerks, while smartphones or tablets would be considered only if the system proved successful.
Nomi also said the EC would assess the system’s performance during the Melaka election on Nov 14 before deciding whether to proceed with its planned implementation in Sarawak.
She said any technical problems, including cybersecurity concerns, arising from the Melaka trial could affect the decision to proceed with OCR-VA in Sarawak.
“If the OCR-VA system in Melaka encounters any issues, we may consider postponing or rescheduling its implementation in Sarawak.
“If Melaka goes well and our security systems are in order, we will proceed in Sarawak as planned,” she said.
She added that a successful trial in Sarawak could pave the way for wider implementation of the system in future general elections. — DayakDaily
