Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng today claimed that the Election Commission's redelineation exercise will see the number of voters in his Air Putih state seat reduced by 1,091.

While Lim admitted that, overall, the impact of the exercise is not so bad in Penang, voters in his state seat appear to have been moved out.

Penang has set up a task force led by MPs Ng Wei Aik (DAP-Tanjung), Sim Tze Tzin (PKR-Bayan Baru) and Mujahid Yusof Rawa (Parti Amanah Negara - Parit Buntar) to review the redelineation exercise.

Lim noted that in the 2013 national polls, his voters in Air Putih were at 13,843 but this has been reduced to 12,752 in the latest list proposed by the EC.

Lim, the DAP secretary-general, is also the MP for the Bagan parliamentary seat.

“We discovered that voters in one of the polling stations in Air Putih – Race Course – have been reduced by 26 percent.

“We have received reports from several voters that they have been transferred (from Air Putih) to another polling station, namely Kebun Bunga,” Lim said at a press conference today.

“Why have they been transferred without the knowledge of the voters? They want to continue being my voters and have no intention of voting in other places.”

Lim said the EC’s action is against the Federal Constitution.

He wants the EC to answer to why his voters have been transferred without their prior knowledge, and without them requesting for a transfer.

“We are definitely going to protest against the EC’s proposed redelineation.

“The protest will be lodged by the Penang government, from me as the state assemblyman, by the Penang Island Municipal Council (MBPP) and by about 100 voters,” Lim said.

“We will submit our protest by Oct 14, the deadline to register our protests against the EC’s proposal,” he added.

“The transfer of the voters is not fair to me or to the voters.”

Lim said the state government will consider initiating legal action against the EC but will submit its protest first.