Indelible Ink becomes Delible and Edible

UPDATED 10 July 2013

Today, the EC has stated (read here) that for the 24 July by-election for Kuala Besut, all voters are to dip their left index finger into the indelible ink bottle. It is believed that the EC thinks by doing so that more of the ink will be applied and the likelihood of the removal of the indelible ink will be reduced.

This seems to be a most illogical view of an honorable office of the EC who has no idea how the indelible ink and the silver nitrate works. Neither shaken nor stirred nor dipped will change the indelible nature of the ink if it is truly indelible and not food coloring. If it is food coloring, bathing the entire hand will not make it indelible.

ORIGINAL POSTING

“No chemical was used in the ink but it was instead replaced with permitted food colouring,” said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim in his reply to Segambut Member of Parliament Lim Lip Eng.

(read The Malaysian Insider and The Star).

This statement was made in Parliament and enjoys the full immunity accorded to parliamentarians and is intended for information to the Rakyat.

Many comments have been made regarding this fiasco by the Election Commission (EC). Right from the start, when complaints were made that the indelible ink can be washed off after the Police and Army personnel casted their votes in early voting, the EC retorted that perhaps the EC reps at the polling stations did not follow instructions to shake the bottle before use.

Note that AgNO3 or silver nitrate being the staining agent does not need to be shaken or stirred. It must be exposed to light to retain the stain or else it can be washed off. Some suggested to use a fixer like in photography development. In any case, there is no need to shake. Such reasoning is intended to fool the Rakyat at worst case or the EC is speaking in ignorance.