A new commission should be established to study the redelineation of state and parliamentary constituencies, which is due to soon, PKR deputy president Azmin Ali proposed today.

"The gerrymandering masterminded by Umno has crippled the electoral system in Malaysia. The delineation of constituency boundaries was done unfairly and did not meet the principle of representative democracy.

NONE "The Election Commission (EC) should focus more on the management of elections and not be burdened with the responsibility to propose redelineation of constituency boundaries.

"This will only jeopardise the credibility and independence of the EC," Azmin said in his opening address at the annual congress of the PKR Wanita and Youth wings in Petaling Jaya this afternoon.

The Gombak MP proposed that a new commission that will be independent, transparent and professional be given the task of re-delineating constituency boundaries.

Azmin cited the Boundary Commission of the United Kingdom, which is tasked to conduct the redelineation of constituencies every five years, as the example for Malaysia to follow.

Kick off efforts in this, Wanita, Youth wings told

"Hence, I suggest that the Wanita and Youth wings be proactive in kicking off the effort to discuss with those who have the expertise to propose the justification for re-delineation based on democratic ethics, to serve as a counter-proposal to the re-delineation proposal of the EC at the end of this year."

NONE Last night DAP publicity secretary Tony Pua ( right ) told a rally in Petaling Jaya that Pakatan Rakyat MPs will push for a bi-partisan parliamentary select committee on redelineation when the new Parliament convenes on June 24.

This is to ensure a fairer distribution of voters in the constituencies, said Pua, the MP for PJ Utara.

The federal constitution stipulates for an interval of not less than eight years between two redelineation exercises, with a mandatory deadline of two years for the process to be completed.

The last constituency redelineation was carried out in 2002 and the proposals adopted by Parliament in 2003.

After the redelineation, the EC still needs a two-thirds backing of the Members of Parliament or the members of the state assemblies for the new constituency boundaries to be approved.

Yesterday, EC deputy chairperson Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said the new round of redelineation exercise will begin soon .

In his speech today, Azmin also slammed Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak by “reminding” him that he is heading a minority government, which has lost the popular vote.

“Yet, Malaysia’s democracy is strange and miraculous. Pakatan Rakyat which has garnered 51 percent of the popular vote from the people becomes the opposition, whereas Umno (and BN) forms the government although he only receives 47 percent (of the votes),” he lamented.

NONE

Related report

'Resources crucial to avoid becoming lame-duck party'