ALOR SETAR: The Electoral Reform Committee (ERC) is dedicated to ensure that the country’s elections are conducted in a fair and transparent manner.
ERC’s chief executive Amerul Muner said the committee was looking into various public concerns that included the issue of border delineation.
In the last General Election, the Election Commission was heavily criticised when the electoral boundaries were allegedly done to ensure that the previous government could win the election through delineation exercises that could give the upper hand to a particular party.
He said the ECR was looking into having an independent body to ensure that the next delineation exercise due in 2026 would be conducted in a fair and transparent manner.
“For the delineation process, the size of the constituencies shall be based on Section 2 of the 13th Schedule of the Federal Constitution.
“The increase in the number of constituencies is always a possibility that should not be ignored,” he said.
He explained that the major criteria for the determination of constituencies included convenience for constituents to cast their votes and not to cross state boundaries; administrative facilities for voter registration and polling machineries and an equal number of voters in each constituency.
Amerul also reaffirmed that racial composition should not be the focus in the delineation process.
“We are pushing for the ‘vote where you live’ principle. If that principle is accepted, race shall be of no major consideration.
“We want to make the election system and management more comprehensive, resilient and transparent so that Malaysia can have a just and transparent election,” he said.