PBB man defends EC in delineation proposal

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KUCHING: There is no ‘mala fide’ or bad faith on the part of the Election Commission (EC) in proposing 11 new state constituencies in the delineation exercise.

PBB supreme council member Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the commission had acted at the request of the state government, which recently passed a Bill to raise the current state constituencies from 71 to 82 at its Legislative Assembly sitting last November.

The Assistant Youth Development Minister added that the delineation process, although seen as a political exercise, was allowed under the Federal Constitution. The EC, however, did not propose to increase the number of parliamentary seats because the process would require the passing of a Bill in Parliament.

Abdul Karim was responding to DAP strategist Dr Ong Kian Ming, who is reported as saying on Thursday that EC’s proposal to add 11 state seats in Sarawak appeared to be a politically expedient move for the state election due in 2016, as no federal seats were increased.

Questioning the rationale for increasing the number of state seats without adding any parliamentary seat, Ong who is Serdang MP opined that increasing the number of parliamentary seats might delay the electoral re-delineation exercise, considering that the process would involve a constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds majority in Parliament, in which the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) only controls a simple majority.

“Any constituency delineation exercise is of course a political exercise. However, this exercise is allowed by the Federal Constitution. I don’t see any ‘mala fide’ or bad faith in the EC doing it at this time as it is at the request of the Sarawak State Assembly which has passed a Bill to that effect.

“Parliamentary constituencies are not affected as that would require Parliament to pass the Bill,” Abdul Karim told The Borneo Post when contacted on Thursday.

The state’s Dewan Undangan Negeri (Composition of Membership) Bill, 2014 — to increase the number of state seats — was passed on Nov 11.

On Monday, EC proposed 11 new state constituencies; namely Batu Kitang, Stakan, Serembu, Triboh, Gedong, Kabong, Tellian, Selirik, Murum, Samalaju and Long Lama in its delineation exercise in accordance with an amendment to the State Constitution on Dec 5 last year.

The commission also proposed to change the name of Mambong parliamentary constituency to Puncak Borneo besides proposing name changes of four state constituencies; namely Bengoh to Mambong, Batang Air to Batang Ai, Belawai to Kuala Rajang and Kidurong to Tanjung Batu.

In addition, EC also proposed to move Batu Lintang state constituency from Stampin parliamentary constituency to Bandar Kuching following its proposal to place Batu Kitang under Stampin parliamentary constituency.

When the state held its first direct election in 1969, the total number of constituencies was 48 before it was increased to 56 in 1985, 62 in 1995 and to its current number of 71 in 2005.