Motion on electoral re-delineation to be tabled in parliament – DPM

KUALA LUMPUR: The motion on the re-delineation of parliamentary and state election division boundaries will be tabled, debated and passed at the current Dewan Rakyat sitting, says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He said the actual date to table the motion would be determined after discussions between him, as Chief Whip, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak as the head of government and Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia.

“The re-delineation of boundaries motion will be brought to Dewan Rakyat for debate and voting will be carried out by division or voice vote.

“The date for the tabling of the motion has not been decided as the debate on the royal address at Dewan Rakyat is still going which will be followed ministers’ replies and later the tabling of new bills,” he told reporters after opening the 25th Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) annual general meeting here yesterday.

He was asked to comment on the statement of the Election Commission yesterday that it had submitted the final report on the re-delineation of federal and state election division boundaries to the Prime Minister.

In a statement on Friday, Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Mohd Hashim Abdullah said the re-delineation exercise had been completed as provided under Article 113(10) of the Federal Constitution.

“With the submission of the final report, the duties and responsibilities of the EC in implementing the delineation exercise have been completed as stipulated in the Federal Constitution,” he said.

The EC’s re-delineation of electoral boundaries exercise was challenged by many parties in court which eventually ruled in favour of the commission.

EC had also conducted public hearings to gather public feedbacks on the re-delineation proposals in the exercise.

The current Dewan Rakyat sitting is scheduled to be held until April 5 which is the last term before the 14th general election.