Sarawak PKR takes Election Commision to court over boundary redrawing

KUCHING, Jan 28 — With an eye on the upcoming state polls, Sarawak PKR filed today a judicial review of the Election Commission’s (EC) proposed redelineation of the state borders, claiming it does not comply with the provisions stated in the country’s highest law.

The opposition party wants the court to declare the proposed state boundary redrawing exercise as unconstitutional.

“There is serious and considerable lacking in detailed particulars of the proposed recommendations and the draft constituency plan which are opened for public inspection from January 5 to February 4, 2015,” state PKR vice-chairman See Chee How told reporters after filing the application at the High Court here.

See is one of the two applicants for the judicial review, together with party member from Ulu Baram, Paul Baya. They named the EC’s chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Yusof as the sole respondent.

According to the Batu Lintang state lawmaker, the Thirteenth Schedule of the Federal Constitution requires the EC to disclose fully its proposed recommendations in the affected state constituencies, and how such recommendations will affect the voters.

See also claimed the EC had failed to disseminate widely news of its proposed redelineation exercise to voters as required by the provisions in the Thirteenth Schedule, saying few of the affected voters were aware of this.

“The EC had only published the notice in the sister papers of the New Sarawak Tribune and the Utusan Sarawak which have limited circulation in Sarawak, and we have affidavit evidence filed to show that these papers have no circulation in various rural centres whose voters are affected.

“We also understand, from our party leaders and members in Sabah, that the EC had published the notice in the Sabah edition of the Borneo Post,” he said.

See said the Sabah edition of the Borneo Post is not circulated in Sarawak.

“If it is not ignorance of the EC, there is certainly negligence and or mistake on their part,” he added.

The redelineation exercise would increase the number of seats in the Sarawak state legislative assembly from 82 currently, to 71.

The proposed state areas are N.13 Batu Kitang; N.17 Stakan; N.18 Serembu; N.23 Triboh; N.26 Gedong; N.40 Kabong; N.57 Telian; N.63 Selirik; N.66 Murum; N.70 Samalaju; and, N.78 Long Lama.