Next redelineation exercise only due in 2026, says Hanipa

KUALA LUMPUR:

The next redelineation of the electoral boundaries in the peninsula is only due in 2026, says Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Hanipa Maidin.

He said if the exercise was necessary for the next general election, amendments have to be made to the Federal Constitution and have to be passed with a two-thirds majority in Dewan Rakyat.

He said Article 113 of the Federal Constitution stated that the Election Commission (EC) could only conduct a redelineation exercise after eight years from the date of the last exercise or if there was a change in the number of parliamentary seats under Article 46.

The current electoral boundaries were approved in Parliament in March, two months before the GE14.

In the delineation exercise, 98 parliamentary seats out of 165 involved were affected while 28 state seats had their names changed.

Hanipa said for Sarawak, the eight-year period would end in 2023 while for Sabah it will end in in 2025.

“If there is to be a redelineation exercise before the next general election, which is to be held by 2023, the government needs to amend the Constitution and this requires a two-thirds majority approval from the Dewan Rakyat,” he said when replying a question by Wong Kah Woh (PH-Ipoh Timur).

“The EC is in discussion with stakeholders and the Committee of Electoral Reform to address the redelineation issue,” he said.

On the imbalance in the number of voters in a particular constituency, Hanipa said the previous redelineation exercise was done based on geographical, infrastructural and demographic factors.