After unprecedented objections lodged against the Election Commission’s (EC) redelineation plan in Sarawak, Bersih is piling on further pressure by urging the petitioners to reveal details of their complaints.

 

“Such scrutiny will put pressure on the EC to accept proposals that correct gerrymandering and malapportionment, which have for too long been a feature of Malaysia’s electoral map,” it said in a statement yesterday.

 

The electoral reform group said it is responsible in assisting the filing of 11 official objections for Miri, Bintulu, Sibu, Samarahan and Kuching seats through the Delineation Action Research Team (Dart) and will also reveal the details soon.

 

It hailed the record number of objections in Sarawak - 64 compared to 26 in 2005 when the last redelineation exercise was carried out - but said that this is just the beginning of its campaign to counter the “inexcusable effort by the EC to manipulate electoral boundaries”.

 

Bersih said the EC will now determine if the objections were filed by parties recognised under the 13th Schedule of the federal constitution and will need to hold inquiries into valid objections.

 

EC is required to carry out a redelineation exercise every 10 years.

 

“Bersih looks forward to the EC learning from its mistakes in Sarawak as it faces legal challenges and an unprecedented number of objections.

 

“It can no longer hide from the public glare and instead should willingly embrace the principles of accountability and fairness,” it said.

 

The EC revealed its redelineation proposal for Sarawak - the first state where details of changes to electoral boundaries were made public - on Jan 5. Voters had 30 days - until Feb 4 - to lodge their objections.

 

Objection forms

 

Meanwhile, Bersih urged other states to get ready and follow Sarawak’s lead as the EC prepares to come out with its redelineation exercise for these regions.

 

Under the law, if the objections are found valid, the EC is required to hold inquiries into the matter. Each objection requires the signature of 100 voters from their respective constituency.

 

Should the objections be accepted, EC will need to revise its proposals and display them for a second time. After that, voters have another month to lodge further objections, if any.

 

“Bersih urges Malaysians from the peninsula and Sabah to look to Sarawak as an example, to be ready for malapportionment and gerrymandering and to be prepared to exercise their constitutional right to object,” it said.

 

It said objection forms can be obtained at dart.bersih.org and collected signatures for the respective constituency can be sent to Bersih's secretariat at 13, Lorong 4/48E, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.