Set up indie electoral boundaries body to prevent political interference, govt told

 

Rather than redrawing electoral boundaries to benefit Malay political parties, the government should instead establish an independent body to conduct redelineation in a fair and apolitical manner.

This was proposed by DAP Kota Melaka MP Khoo Poay Tiong (above) in light of PAS’ aim to create more Malay-majority seats.

In a statement today, Khoo stressed that changes to electoral boundaries are supposed to be based on demographic shifts and aimed at increasing voting equality.

“These two principles should be the underlying consideration in any redelineation process, not race and religion,” he noted.

To prevent political interference into the redelineation process, Khoo proposed that an Independent Boundaries Commission (IBC) be set up.

“DAP calls for the establishment of an IBC so that future redelineation exercises can be conducted independently and fairly.

“The IBC would be a separate body from the Election Commission (EC) and the executive. It shall have the final authority to review and pass the electoral boundaries without any interference from political parties or the prime minister,” he said.

At present, the EC conducts redelineation exercises.

“No government, including (PAS central committee member) Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali’s imaginary two-thirds government, should interfere in the redelineation process by the EC,” Khoo said.

Earlier this week, Khairuddin underscored the need for PAS, Umno and Bersatu to win a two-thirds majority in GE15 to enable electoral boundaries to be changed to benefit Muslims.

Such control in the Dewan Rakyat would also allow more Malay-majority parliamentary seats to be created.

The Federal Constitution stipulates in Article 113(2)(ii) that passing new electoral boundaries does not need a two-thirds majority.

However, redelineation exercises are not due until 2026 for Peninsular Malaysia, 2025 for Sabah and 2023 for Sarawak.

The plantation industries and commodities minister’s suggestion could signal that PAS wants to amend the constitution to allow electoral boundaries to be redrawn earlier.

Khairuddin had said that a two-thirds majority in GE15 can only be achieved if PAS, Bersatu and Umno unite to launch straight fights against the opposition.

There is ample evidence that the country's electoral system already suffers from severe malapportionment where voters in rural areas have greater voter weightage compared to urban counterparts.

The last redrawing of electoral boundaries exacerbated the problem and was passed in March 2018, two months before GE14. - Mkini