Amidst joyous celebrations for the Muslim Eid of Sacrifice and on Malaysia Day, Malaysians were ambushed with the Election Commission’s (EC) prejudiced redrawing of constituencies – causing 18 out of the 89 seats earlier won by the opposition in GE13 to be at risk.
Malaysia is currently ruled by a government who only gained 47% popular support during the election. With the latest redelineation, Malaysia will remain under the reign of the same government, despite a decreased proportion of popular support.
The EC’s practice of compromising free and fair elections has precedence. In the run up to this year’s Sarawak state elections, the EC had delineated the voting boundaries in Sarawak — a controversial process which KEADILAN challenged. In 2015, High Court Judge Datuk Yew Jen Kie decided that KEADILAN’s legal challenge was not frivolous, nullifying the notice issued by the EC for failing to adhere to requirements in Schedule 13 of Malaysia’s Federal Constitution. As stated in her judgment, voters (are) not able to know whether they are being moved into new constituencies. As if compromising the votes of one state was not enough, this rigged process of redelineation is now traversing borders, enveloping all of Malaysia.
It is unfortunate that a government, which faces investigations for money-laundering and criticised as kleptocrats [read: the worst of thieves], is now stealing at a much more gargantuan scale. The ones responsible for siphoning at least US$3.657 billion from state vehicle 1MDB have now moved on, using the EC, to steal the unimaginable – an election, and with it, the future of our nation.
Welcome to the 14th General Elections.
Redelineation – the method of which the ruling UMNO-BN cadre of political elites control Malaysia
This current redelineation must be rejected until and unless the Election Commission abides by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reforms’ recommendation of having three separate independent bodies to respectfully conduct elections, manage the electoral roll and review election constituencies.
Redelineation, as per our Malaysian Federal Constitution, is a process meant to provide voters “convenient opportunities of going to the polls” and to keep the number of voters in constituencies within each state “approximately equal”. But in Malaysia’s case, the EC’s actions betray the very principles of redelineation enshrined in the Constitution.
In the 2013 General Elections, the five largest constituencies by population size have an average size of 131,296 eligible voters, while the five smallest constituencies have an average size of 18,185 eligible voters. On average, the biggest seats are 7 times more populous than the smallest one.
The latest redelineation exercise then exacerbates this situation even further. For an example of abhorrent electoral misconduct, look no further than Selangor. With the new redelineation, Selangor is at risk to be whisked away into BN’s hands. All this, despite the fact that Chief Minister Dato’ Seri Azmin Ali enjoys an impressive 65% of popular support from Selangorians.
The recent redelineation returns the BN government to a comfortable but undeserved ⅔ majority
In 2013, the opposition won 52% popular support. Despite an outright majority, the opposition only secured 40% of parliamentary seats (89 seats). Assuming the same level of support and straight fights in the constituencies, the EC’s new redelineation could cost the opposition a hefty number of seats, in addition to not winning any new seats at all. According to our calculations, the new redelineation leaves the opposition with possibly less than ⅓ of parliamentary seats (less than 74 seats).
Letting the incumbent government have a two-third majority is akin to putting a blank cheque into BN’s hands. For example, our Constitution that is the Supreme law of the land can be amended wantonly. Would it be wise to allow the party who had the audacity to steal billions from Malaysia and not repent, any leeway at all to commit yet another crime – be it economic, social or political in nature?
The net effect of this corrupt exercise is that BN now whisks away almost 10% of seats without gaining an additional vote to their favour.
They have redrawn the lines to change the electoral results. I am sure that all voters, including UMNO members would not want to win in a corrupt manner. I am sure many within the ruling coalition would want an independent Election Commission that will never tolerate corrupt thieves and works towards the betterment of Malaysia by ensuring the will of the people is respected.
Save our elections, save our future
Most of us reject Prime Minister Najib’s leadership, lament the lavish lifestyles brandished by our leaders and their families, most of us do not think that we are ready for the GST, most of us want corruption stamped out of the country. Yet, a prejudiced and treacherously calculated redelineation process virtually guarantees the electoral success of Prime Minister Najib’s party.
The EC’s redelineation will create cruel outcomes:
1) A permanently entrenched government.
2) A permanently incapacitated opposition.
3) Permanently flawed policies that penalise ordinary Malaysians whilst satisfying kleptocrats.
More than ever, we need to make our voices heard. Here is what we, as Malaysians must do to save our future:
1. Reject the current redelineation process by a partisan and flawed EC, until a separate and independent Boundaries Commission is set up in line with the PSC on Electoral Reforms.
2. Find out your voting placement and immediately file a complaint if you have been transferred without cause. https://dart.bersih.org/objector-info/
3. Know and defend your democratic rights. Be there this November 19th 2016 to support Bersih 5.
4. Support our petition to His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to set right the wrongful actions of the Election Commission, which is a betrayal of the country’s future.
5. Selangor and KEADILAN will be mulling possible legal measures after discussing with all relevant stakeholders. No one should tolerate systematic electoral fraud and the stealing of an election even before the first ballot is cast!
NURUL IZZAH ANWAR
MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, LEMBAH PANTAI
VICE PRESIDENT AND ELECTION DIRECTOR, KEADILAN
