What does a PACA look like?

Seasoned veteran of many elections past? Social activist? Political party member? Registered voter?

Answer : None of the above.

To be eligible to volunteer as PACA, you need to be a non-bankrupt Malaysian citizen of at least 21 years old with a clean criminal record. You do not, I repeat, you do not, have to be a Registered Voter.

If you forgot to register as a voter the minute you turned 21, you can still Get Involved in the upcoming Sarawak State Elections as a Polling Agent/Counting Agent (PACA). As a PACA, you will get an exclusive, behind the scenes peek at how Malaysian elections really work, something that the public will normally never to see.

You will see what happens before the doors open for the public to start voting in the morning, you will observe the Election Comission staff carrying on their numerous duties, you will enforce Election Rules and Regulations by reminding Election Comission staff to stick to the rules, and most importantly, you will witness the counting of votes at the end of the day and make sure that Every Single Eligible Vote is Accounted For.

Gabrielle, a 23-year-old fresh graduate with zero election experience, tells us why she decided to come for one of ROSE’s public PACA trainings. She says :

“I am definitely not in favour of any particular political party. I believe it pretty much depends on what those parties are able to provide for the people, and what we are able to gain – what has to change will change, what remains will remain; things will never be the same. As long as people are able to vote for their own beliefs, it is a pleasure to help them secure it. I wanted to volunteer for experience and to gain knowledge on the election proceedings. The good thing about this volunteer program, for me, is the part where I can get to better know how the process works, before I actually vote, so I can be wary of the different situations during voting season. This allows me to understand and learn how to protect and secure the people’s rights, regardless of their religion or beliefs. It was fun to see how people from different backgrounds came together as one to protect each other’s rights. ”

Get involved today, sign up to volunteer as PACA at http://goo.gl/forms/sNnLRY69bo OR  email us at [email protected] for further details on how to get yourself trained like Gabrielle! Malaysia needs you, step up and get involved!