KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 14 — The Election Commission (EC) has urged those who have bought the General Election Voter Register (GEVR) to make sure that the voters’ data does not slip into the hands of crime syndicates.

Malay daily Utusan Malaysia today reported that according to an anonymous source, voters’ data is allowed to be sold under the Election (Registration of Voters) Rules 2002, and that it is usually bought by political parties to check who their voters are.

“Therefore, for those who buy the data, especially the political parties, they need to be responsible in maintaining the confidentiality of the information so that the data is not misused,” the source reportedly said.

Malay Mail‘s check on the EC’s frequently-asked-questions (FAQ) webpage showed that information in the register includes voters’ names, identification card numbers, polling station, the district they are voting in, as well as which Federal and state constituency they will be voting for.

The register can be bought for either the whole country, or by parts — per state, or per constituency (Federal or state-level).

Based on prices listed on the website, the cheapest state is Perlis, costing RM1,576, while the most expensive is Selangor, costing RM29,512.80 and the total cost for the whole nation’s register is RM170,128.60.

Prices vary based on the number of voters that the list contains.

Additionally, Utusan Malaysia, reported that the register is given for free to approved electoral candidates on nomination day, in the form of a printed copy and a softcopy in a compact disc (CD).