Bigger Parliament not the answer, Bersih tells EC ahead of redrawing exercise

A view of the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat, the lower house of the Malaysian Parliament. Electoral reforms coalition Bersih 2.0 says there is no need for additional seats as being proposed by the Election Commission. – The Malaysian Insider pic, December 1, 2014.Electoral watchdog Bersih 2.0 has voiced out against a plan by the Election Commission (EC) to propose an increase in the number of state and parliamentary constituencies, saying more seats would not guarantee better service for the people.

"The increase in the number of parliamentary and state constituencies is no guarantee that the people will be better served. Existing elected representatives must be empowered with support staff and financial allocation to perform their task," said Bersih chairperson, Maria Chin Abdullah.

She was responding to a recent statement by EC chairman, Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof,  that the redelineation exercise was not intended to determine the victory of any party in elections but to facilitate voters.

Aziz has been intensely engaging the public through the media to explain the need for more parliamentary and state seats.

But Maria (pic, right) said there was no urgency to add seats in a country with 13.5 million registered voters and a population of 30 million.

She cited India, the world's largest democracy with a voter population exceeding 800 million, whose Lok Sabha, or lower house of Parliament, has only 545 seats.

She also reminded that the United States’ House of Representatives has had 435 members for more than a century, although the American population grew from 94 million in 1911 to 317 million now.

Maria said voters are served by elected state assemblymen and appointed councillors from the local governments, except in the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan.

"It is going to be additional expenses and that is going to come from taxpayers contribution to sustain the new seats and its elected representatives," she said.  

The EC reportedly said that it would go ahead with the long overdue redelineation of electoral boundaries, having deferred the exercise in 2011 since the last one in 2003.

Under Article 113(2)(i) of the Federal Constitution, redelineation is to be carried out after an interval of least eight years to accommodate demographic growth and voters’ interests.

Maria said it was not mandatory to increase the number of seats in the Dewan Rakyat and the state assemblies.

"Nothing stops the EC from redrawing boundries in compliance with Schedule 13 (Part 1) of the Constitution," she said, adding that in such an exercise, the Speaker only needed to be notified.

But she said a two-thirds majority vote is needed in Parliament to approve any increase in the number of seats.

With 134 seats, the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) does not have the required two-thirds majority in Parliament, and would need the support from some of Pakatan Rakyat's 88 MPs to approve the exercise.

Maria said the EC could increase seats only if Parliament approved amendments to Article 46 of the Constitution on the number of constituencies from the states, including the Federal Territories.

"If seats are to be increased, a constitutional amendment is required before the EC can publish its recommendations," she said.

She said Bersih supported Pakatan Rakyat's call for an Independent Boundaries Commission, similar to the one in Britain.

"As stated by the People’s Tribunal Report on the 13th General Elections, the EC’s role should focus on the conduct of elections, while a separate, independent and expert body should be tasked with mapping the electoral boundaries."

Bersih, which brings together civil society groups demanding free and fair elections, said unfair delineation could manipulate votes against public interest.

She said the EC should consult with the public in open forums and not restrict to closed-door meetings with political parties which gave the perception that delineation exercise was based on the wishes of politicians.

"Voters have legitimate expectations to be consulted because they elect their representative and decide which party administers the Federal and state governments for five years," she added. – December 1, 2014.