SHAH ALAM, Feb 26 — The Selangor Barisan Nasional (BN) today lodged protests against the redelineation’s second proposal of the constituencies involving seven parliamentary constituencies to the Election Commission (EC).
The parliamentary constituencies were Tanjong Karang, Kuala Selangor, Subang, Kuala Langat, Gombak, Ampang and Serdang.
Selangor BN chairman Tan Sri Noh Omar said among the protests was related to the transfer of the Sawah Sempadan District Voting Centre (PDM) under the Sungai Burong State seat to the Permatang state seat which were both within the Tanjong Karang Parliamentary constituency.
The excuse for the EC’s second recommendation was that the transfer of the PDM was to balance the number of voters in the two state constituencies was debatable, Noh, who is also the Tanjong Karang MP, told reporters after a protest hearing session to the EC here today.
The EC, today until Feb 28, held a second local inquiry for Selangor’s delineation recommendations. The protest period for the second proposed re-delineation of the parliamentary and Selangor state seats ended on Feb 14.
Noh said this was because the PDM transfer was made not based on the Thirteenth Schedule of the Federal Constitution which states that delineation of the land is not merely dependent on the balance of the voters solely, but should be influenced by geographical factors.
“The Permatang seat is two-thirds of the Tanjong Karang parliamentary constituency, while the Sungai Burong constituency is only one-third.
“If the Sawah Sempadan PDM is moved, the current 21,409 voters at the Permatang seat will increase to 22,831. Meanwhile, the current Sungai Burong state constituency which currently has 25,091 voters, will be decreased to 23,757 people,” he said.
Because of that, Noh said the transfer of the PDM would soon make it difficult for the elected representative involved to serve the voters as the paddy fields were too vast.
He also questioned the EC on the transfer of the PDM while there were two more PDMs in the same area, the PDM Sawah Sempadan Utara and PDM Sawah Sempadan Selatan which were not transferred.
Noh, who is also the Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister, said the protest was made as the second recommendation of the EC did not take into consideration the proposal submitted by BN during its first recommendation and it was seen as giving an advantage to the Pakatan Harapan opposition coalition in Selangor. — Bernama
