.png)
SHAH ALAM - Bentong Member of Parliament (MP) Young Syefura Othman called for the proposed redrawing of parliamentary constituencies to be extended to Peninsular Malaysia without delaying the ongoing process in Sabah and Sarawak.
She said the disparity in voter numbers between constituencies warranted consideration, citing Bangi, which has more than 300,000 voters, compared with rural constituencies such as Lenggong and Putrajaya.
“This disparity needs to be considered. Government allocations for each parliamentary constituency are distributed equally, but densely populated urban and suburban areas face challenges in terms of allocation and service delivery logistics.
“An MP representing 200,000 to 300,000 residents faces much greater challenges in managing welfare and infrastructure compared with those representing less populated constituencies.
“Automatic voter registration and the lowering of the voting age to 18 have significantly increased the number of voters nationwide, particularly in rapidly developing areas in Peninsular Malaysia,” she told Sinar.
The Federal Government said it would work to expedite the parliamentary boundary review in Sabah and Sarawak following an agreement to amend the Federal Constitution on the matter.
Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said the process had already begun, with the Election Commission (EC) addressing several matters before announcing the next steps.
Young Syefura said any move to increase the number of parliamentary seats in Peninsular Malaysia would require political commitment and a two-thirds majority in Parliament to amend Article 46 of the Federal Constitution.
“The EC must ensure that the electoral boundary review is conducted independently, professionally and transparently, without political influence or interference based on the interests of any particular party,” she said.
Meanwhile, Kubang Kerian MP Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said state and federal electoral boundaries were subject to a timeframe set by the EC.
“It needs to be brought to Parliament for approval and involves a constitutional amendment.
“In Peninsular Malaysia, it is time for a review, but this is not the right time to implement it.
“Given the current political instability and various issues, redrawing the boundaries would only prolong political tensions,” he said.
