Bar: Boundary change should fix inequality, not make it worse
The Malaysian Bar today said the ongoing redelineation process should rectify excessive differentials between constituency sizes, not exacerbate it.
Bar president Steven Thiru said growing disparity means the country regressed in infrastructure development and accessibility in the 43 years since the formation of Malaysia.
He added that the Federal Constitution safeguards the principle of "one person, one vote, one value".
As it stands, he said, intra-state differentials between constituencies can be as high as 476 percent in the case of Igan (17,771) and Stampin (84,732) in Sarawak.
In relatively more developed Selangor, the smallest constituency of Sabak Bernam is close to four times smaller than the largest constituency of Kapar.
The Malaysian Bar today said the ongoing redelineation process should rectify excessive differentials between constituency sizes, not exacerbate it.
Bar president Steven Thiru said growing disparity means the country regressed in infrastructure development and accessibility in the 43 years since the formation of Malaysia.
He added that the Federal Constitution safeguards the principle of "one person, one vote, one value".
As it stands, he said, intra-state differentials between constituencies can be as high as 476 percent in the case of Igan (17,771) and Stampin (84,732) in Sarawak.
In relatively more developed Selangor, the smallest constituency of Sabak Bernam is close to four times smaller than the largest constituency of Kapar.
Similar trends persist in Perak, Pahang and Johor.
"Such excessive intra-state differentials are clearly unacceptable, and must be rectified.
"To do otherwise would mean that the Election Commission is suggesting that even after 43 years of development policies by the government, transport infrastructure and communications technologies in Malaysia are such that the level of difficulty of reaching electors in the country districts and the other disadvantages facing rural constituencies has actually increased, not decreased," Thiru said.
He said the constitution only allows difference in size if there are geographical challenges in reaching voters.
In this case, Thiru said, the size of the constituency should be weighed accordingly to commensurate with other constituencies.
"This is a safeguard against the willy-nilly manipulation of boundaries of constituencies." he added.
"The Federal Constitution guarantees equality and equal protection of the law against discrimination as a fundamental right accorded to all persons.
"Every citizen must have equal voting power," he said.
The EC received 836 objections to the redelineation proposal at the end of objection period on Oct 15.
Thiru urged that objectors are allowed legal representation to ensure their constitutional right to be heard over the redelineation proposal.
The public enquiry process is ongoing.
