The Election Commission (EC) is to go ahead with the long overdue redelineation of electoral boundaries, having deferred the scheduled exercise in 2011 after the last one was done in 2003.
EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said the EC was expected to gazette the notice for the redelineation exercise at the end of this year.
He said the redelineation of electoral boundaries was a responsibility of the EC under the Federal Constitution to ensure that voters were served easily by their elected representatives.
"A constituency with a large number of voters, more than 100,000, has to be divided into two, for example, so that there are reasonable numbers of voters in both," he said.
For example, he said, in Kuala Lumpur, the size of the constituencies, such as Batu and Segambut, was small, but the number of voters was large.
Without a redelineation exercise, it would be difficult for the constituents to obtain good service from their elected representatives, he said.
Abdul Aziz also said that a redelineation exercise was not intended to determine the victory of any party in the elections. The principle behind the EC exercise was to facilitate the voter.
He said a redelineation exercise was undertaken at least once in eight years and that the last one was in 2003 while the next one should have been in 2011.
"Then, the EC had to prepare for the 13th general election, and the redelineation exercise was deferred.
The constituencies redelineated under the upcoming exercise would be used for the next general election, to be held in 2018 at the latest, he said.
Abdul Aziz said the period of more than eight years from 2003 would have resulted in more voters and much development, such as new government buildings which could be used as polling centres, and more new roads that would facilitate voters getting to polling centres faster and easily.
"Currently, there are parliamentary constituencies with two district offices and two local councils. This will make things difficult for the elected representative, besides posing a problem for coordination during the
registration of voters and polling," he said.
He also said that the EC would try to bring the polling centre as close to a voter as possible under the redelineation exercise.
It would also ensure that in every constituency there were administrative facilities such as a district office, local council, district council, municipal council or city hall.
"As far as possible, the number of voters should be about the same. However, the EC cannot do much to have a similar number of voters in an urban and rural constituency.
"The density of population in an urban constituency is high; in a rural constituency, it is low," he said.
Elaborating on the steps the EC would have to take in relation to a redelineation exercise, Abdul Aziz said that prior to gazetting the notice, the EC would have to inform Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, as the head of government, as the regulation stipulated.
"After the announcement, the notice will be displayed for a month for proposals and objections from the state governments, local authorities and groups of registered voters of at least 100 people in the constituencies," he told Bernama.
Abdul Aziz said the final report on the recommendations for redelineation of the electoral boundaries would have to be submitted to the prime minister within two years of the announcement of the notice, for tabling in the Dewan Rakyat to obtain approval, in accordance with section 8 of the Thirteenth Schedule of the Federal Constitution.
The report approved by the Dewan Rakyat would be presented to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for endorsement prior to gazetting and application, he said.
Bernama
Sun Nov 02 2014
ABDUL AZIZ: The redelineation of electoral boundaries was a responsibility of the EC under the Federal Constitution to ensure that voters were served easily by their elected representatives.
Berita tempatan pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Berikut adalah berita yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang Khamis, 28 Mac 2024.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah antara yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Hampir 10,000 sertai Majlis Iftar MADANI bersama PM sempena Nuzul al-Quran
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim hari ini meluangkan masa berbuka puasa bersama hampir 10,000 orang bersempena cuti Nuzul al-Quran di Dataran Putra di sini.
Lebih 70,000 peserta FELCRA sudah terima dividen bernilai RM74 juta
FELCRA Berhad sudah mengagihkan bayaran dividen kepada lebih 70,000 peserta di seluruh negara bernilai RM74 juta bagi musim ketiga tahun lalu.
Dua mayat ditemukan selepas jambatan di Baltimore runtuh
Jasad dua daripada enam pekerja pembinaan yang hilang daripada jambatan yang runtuh di Baltimore, Amerika Syarikat ditemukan, kata pihak berkuasa pada Rabu.
KPDN Sabah terima 67 serahan kes dengan nilai rampasan lebih RM2 juta
Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Kos Sara Hidup (KPDN) Sabah menerima 67 serahan kes daripada agensi penguat kuasa lain dengan nilai rampasan RM2.01 juta sejak Januari lalu hingga hari ini.
Lapan pendatang tanpa izin dihukum penjara enam bulan di Kelantan
Lapan individu dihukum penjara enam bulan selepas mengaku bersalah di Mahkamah Sesyen Khas bagi Pendatang Asing Tanpa Izin di Tanah Merah semalam.
Lebih banyak kolaborasi bidang TVET antara Malaysia dan China - Ahmad Zahid
Malaysia dan China akan mengadakan lebih banyak kolaborasi dalam Pendidikan dan Latihan Teknikal dan Vokasional (TVET) bagi memperkasa bidang itu.
KPDN Kelantan sita 34,871 liter minyak diesel di Kuala Krai
Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Kos Sara Hidup (KPDN) Kelantan menyita kira-kira 34,871 liter minyak diesel bernilai lebih RM74,900 di sebuah premis perniagaan di Kuala Krai, semalam.
Baki stok simpanan air di empat empangan pada paras kritikal - NADMA
Empat empangan air di Johor, Pulau Pinang dan Kedah menunjukkan penurunan paras simpanan sumber air mentah pada paras kritikal setakat semalam susulan cuaca panas.
MAIS sasar kutipan zakat di Selangor sebanyak RM1.35 bilion pada tahun ini
Majlis Agama Islam Selangor (MAIS) menyasarkan kutipan zakat sebanyak RM1.35 bilion tahun ini berdasarkan kemampuan dan pencapaian yang dilakukan Lembaga Zakat Selangor (LZS) pada tahun lepas.
Iklan pelaburan palsu, polis sah terima laporan Pengerusi MAIS
Polis mengesahkan menerima aduan daripada Pengerusi Majlis Agama Islam Selangor (MAIS) Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof berkenaan gambarnya yang digunakan untuk tujuan iklan skim pelaburan saham palsu.
Kalimah Allah: MAIS tidak setuju tindakan tarik balik rayuan
Majlis Agama Islam Selangor (MAIS) tidak bersetuju dengan tindakan kerajaan menarik balik rayuan dalam kes melibatkan penggunaan kalimah Allah.
Arah kiblat masjid, surau di Selangor tidak perlu diragui - MAIS
Badan itu turut mewajibkan agar penentuan arah kiblat oleh Jabatan Mufti Negeri Selangor dilaksanakan terlebih dahulu sebelum sesuatu masjid, surau atau musolla yang baharu mula beroperasi.
Program pengaruh umat Islam minat agama lain salah di sisi undang-undang
Ia merujuk kepada iklan dan risalah yang diedarkan melalui media sosial dan elektronik baru-baru ini berkenaan program "Projek Artikel 11 Jom Ziarah" anjuran Impact Malaysia.
MAIS pantau 14 ajaran sesat aktif di Selangor
Majlis Agama Islam Selangor (MAIS) bersama Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (JAIS) sentiasa memantau ketat 14 ajaran sesat yang dikenal pasti masih aktif di negeri ini.
Siswa mudahkan urusan wasiat, hibah dalam talian
Sistem berkenaan dinaik taraf daripada sistem e-Wasiat sedia ada dengan menggabungkan dua elemen penting dalam perancangan pembahagian harta iaitu wasiat dan hibah.
MAIS tetap pendirian tamat kontrak guru KAFA tolak vaksin
Majlis Agama Islam Selangor (MAIS) tetap dengan pendirian mereka dengan isu penamatan kontrak guru Kelas Agama dan Fardu Ain (KAFA) susulan menolak pengambilan vaksin COVID-19.
Semua pihak diseru hormati bacaan al-Fatihah, ayat-ayat suci al-Quran - MAIS
Masyarakat seluruh negara khususnya Selangor diseru agar sentiasa menghormati agama Islam serta mengurangkan perkara yang melibatkan sensitiviti dan perpecahan.
Persetubuhan luar tabii: MAIS, PDRM kerjasama siasat di bawah Kanun Tatacara Jenayah
Pengerusi MAIS, Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof berkata kes itu akan disiasat mengikut tatacara yang diperuntukkan di bawah Kanun Tatacara Jenayah.