Parliamentary seat distribution must be premised on fairness and not shaped only by political demands, says former Election Commission (EC) deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar.
Last week, deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had agreed in principle to consider increasing the number of parliamentary seats in Sabah and Sarawak.
Wan Ahmad agreed that Sabah and Sarawak may be entitled to more representation under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), but ruled out increasing their share to one-third of the seats in the Dewan Rakyat.
He said the Federal Constitution’s 13th Schedule lays out four main principles that guide the EC in any delineation exercise, with demographics – population size and number of electors – being the key consideration.
Citing Section 2(c) of the schedule, Wan Ahmad said the number of electors in each constituency must be “approximately equal”, with the EC allowed to use its discretion only to take into account factors such as the size and terrain of an area.
Wan Ahmad also highlighted the disparity in the number of voters per constituency in each state and questioned whether a further increase in East Malaysia’s parliamentary seats would be justifiable.
He noted that Selangor — with 3.7 million voters — has 22 parliamentary seats, while Johor (2.6 million) has 26, and Perak (two million) has 24.
“Sarawak, with 1.9 million voters, already has 31 seats. Sabah, with 2.6 million voters, has 25 seats,” he pointed out.
“Every elected representative has the same tasks and responsibilities in the Dewan Rakyat. It would not be fair if the MPs elected by the people represent highly unequal numbers of residents and voters.
“If the demand for additional seats by the two states is implemented, they would end up with more seats despite having fewer number of voters compared to other states.
“The main objective and true spirit of the constitution in terms of distribution of seats among states in Malaysia is fairness to all.
While acknowledging that due attention should be paid to the demands outlined in MA63, Wan Ahmad stressed that fairness and proportionality must be considered when redrawing electoral boundaries.
Last week, Fadillah acknowledged that the attorneys-general for the Federation, Sabah and Sarawak had differing views on the matter.
Speaking to reporters in Kuching after a meeting of the technical committee on implementing MA63, Fadillah said the matter would be tabled before the Cabinet once all legal concerns are resolved.
