Sarawak eligible for redelineation exercise

KUCHING: The Election Commission (EC) has confirmed Sarawak’s eligibility for a redelineation exercise, citing the last one in 2015. 

FMT in a news report said EC Chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh asserted that such exercises occur every eight years or if state assembly composition and numbers change. 

Speculation arose amid claims of malapportioned constituencies by election watchdog Tindak Malaysia and a Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) MP suggesting 12 more parliamentary seats for Sarawak. 

The unnamed MP recently reported saying there is a discrepancy in East Malaysian parliamentary representation, urging alignment with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

As such, Ghani noted that any redelineation would follow constitutional procedures, with the EC assessing Sarawak’s need for it.

“Such an exercise would only commence once the EC notifies the Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat and the prime minister, and a notice has been published as provided for under the Federal Constitution.

“The EC, under Article 113 of the Federal Constitution, is responsible for electoral redelineation exercises as deemed necessary, based on several principles including making it ‘easier for all voters to go out to vote during elections without having to cross state borders’,” he said.