KUCHING: State Election Commission (EC) has received 22 objections on the revised delimitation proposal from voters of affected constituencies after a month-long public display which ended on Wednesday.
The revised delineation proposal which affected more than 20 state constituencies under the 15 parliamentary constituencies of Bandar Kuching, Stampin, Kota Samarahan, Puncak Borneo, Batang Sadong, Saratok, Tg Manis, Sibu, Mukah, Kapit, Ulu Rajang, Bintulu Sibu, Miri and Baram had been put up for public scrutiny since March 30.
“The objections raised in these representations concern mainly the re-distributing of polling districts within a state constituency.
“EC will study and look into these representations after which we will call for these voters who have raised objections to a second public forum to hear their suggestions and to discuss with them,” state Election Commission (EC) director Datuk Takun Sunggah told The Borneo Post yesterday.
After the second public forum, the EC would finalise the proposal and forward it to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Takun stressed that EC would carry out all the procedures required under Schedule 13 of the Federal Constitutions
to make sure the delineation exercise was done in a proper manner.
Compared to the first public display where the EC received 64 representations, Takun said there were less objections this time as the revised delineation exercise proposal was only put up for display in affected constituencies.
The revised proposal had come about after the first public display (Jan 5 to Feb 4, 2015) and a month long public forum conducted by EC to meet those whose objections were accepted by EC.
During the first public display, the EC received 64 official objections, out of which only 41 were accepted.
After looking into these objections, the first round of public forum was carried out for the EC to further hear and discuss with those raising legitimate and valid objections.
Similarly as the first public display, only three parties namely the state government, local councils and at least a body of 100 voters are allowed to raise objections to EC revised delimitation proposal.
EC has initiated the delineation process by coming up with a proposed delimitation or delineation recommendation following the passing of the State Assembly (Composition of Membership) Bill 2014 in last November state legislative assembly sitting.
The passing of the Bill has allowed 11 new state seats to be created, resulting in the increase of the total number of state seats from 71 to 82.