The next redelineation exercise by the Election Commission could see more seats carved out of Felda settlements.
University of Malaya's Centre for Democracy and Elections director Redzuan Othman (pic) said such a possibility was there, using a formula adopted in 1974.
He also did not dismiss the plan to re-distribute the Chinese electorate to avoid their concentration in any seat and thereby ensuring defeat for BN.
This was due to the increasing opposition against BN from the Chinese electorate.
Redzuan recalled how this was done in the past.
"For example, in Lembah Pantai (parliamentary seat) which is near Seputeh. 99 percent of Chinese voters in Seputeh were scattered and some went to Lembah Pantai, this can happen,” he told a forum focused on post-GE13 analysis yesterday.
Redzuan said by rearranging seats with seizable Felda-based voters, seen as BN's vote bank due to its stranglehold on the community's economic life, BN was likely to add another 20 parliamentary seats to the existing 54 seats from Felda.
“BN will win because they will sweep clean Felda areas,” he said.
According to Redzuan, until 2008, when BN lost its two-third majority for the first time, redrawing election boundaries was BN’s most potent weapon to secure a strong victory.
However, the redelineation bid could face problems, as approving it will need two-third majority support in parliament.
According to the Federal Constitution, a period of at least eight years is imposed between two redelineation exercises, and a two-year mandatory deadline for the process to be completed.
EC had announced that the process of redrawing parliamentary and state constituencies would begin end of this year, ten years after the last redelineation process.
University of Malaya's Centre for Democracy and Elections director Redzuan Othman (pic) said such a possibility was there, using a formula adopted in 1974.
He also did not dismiss the plan to re-distribute the Chinese electorate to avoid their concentration in any seat and thereby ensuring defeat for BN.
This was due to the increasing opposition against BN from the Chinese electorate.
Redzuan recalled how this was done in the past.
"For example, in Lembah Pantai (parliamentary seat) which is near Seputeh. 99 percent of Chinese voters in Seputeh were scattered and some went to Lembah Pantai, this can happen,” he told a forum focused on post-GE13 analysis yesterday.
Redzuan said by rearranging seats with seizable Felda-based voters, seen as BN's vote bank due to its stranglehold on the community's economic life, BN was likely to add another 20 parliamentary seats to the existing 54 seats from Felda.
“BN will win because they will sweep clean Felda areas,” he said.According to Redzuan, until 2008, when BN lost its two-third majority for the first time, redrawing election boundaries was BN’s most potent weapon to secure a strong victory.
However, the redelineation bid could face problems, as approving it will need two-third majority support in parliament.
According to the Federal Constitution, a period of at least eight years is imposed between two redelineation exercises, and a two-year mandatory deadline for the process to be completed.
EC had announced that the process of redrawing parliamentary and state constituencies would begin end of this year, ten years after the last redelineation process.
Harakahdaily
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