PETALING JAYA: Redelineation is more than a technical redrawing of electoral maps.
It is a process that determines the grouping of Malaysians into parliamentary and state constituencies, thereby influencing the distribution of representation within the legislatures across the country.
Under Article 113 of the Federal Constitution, the Election Commission (EC) is empowered to review electoral boundaries at intervals of not less than eight years.
“Once a review begins, it must be completed within two years,” said former EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman in an interview.
He was the EC chairman between 2000 and 2008 and was in charge of the redelineation exercise that took place in 2003.
Abdul Rashid said the redelineation exercise (also known as delimitation) is guided by principles set out in the Thirteenth Schedule of the Constitution.
These principles, he said, should be fulfilled by the EC as much as possible.
This includes the need for constituencies to be delimited in such a way that they do not cross state boundaries. Additionally, the EC must take into account the potential inconveniences that arise when state constituencies overlap with federal ones.
“A clear example of this was when Kuala Lumpur split from Selangor in 1974. Delimitation was then required to redraw the electoral boundaries,” he said.
He added that delimitation must also take into account the administrative facilities available within the constituencies for establishing the necessary registration and polling machines.
The number of electors within each constituency in a state also ought to be approximately equal, with appropriate consideration given to accessibility within the proposed constituency.
“People like to compare the size of an urban seat with that of a rural seat. We need to instead make a comparison between the same types of seats, as it provides a fairer outlook,” he said.
Abdul Rashid said attention should be paid to minimising disruption and preserving existing local ties and community connections.
Upon each proposed redelineation, a notice must be gazetted and published in a well-circulated medium, such as newspapers.
“A one-month appeal period is then opened, where members of the public can write to the EC. Each appeal must be accompanied by one hundred signatures,” he said.
Following this, there will then be a representation of objections, which is open to the public.
“This takes months and is carried out at each constituency of the proposed delimitation exercise.
“The EC takes note of each proposal and will present counter-arguments where necessary. The process is followed by on-the-ground research work later,” Abdul Rashid said.
A final report is then prepared by the EC and tabled in the Dewan Rakyat.
Redelineation, Abdul Rashid said, can also be carried out following amendments to Article 46 of the Constitution.
Article 46 dictates the composition of Dewan Rakyat, determining the total number of elected members in Parliament.
On Jan 30, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said the EC will only decide on the redelineation of electoral boundaries for Peninsular Malaysia after the eight-year period ends on March 9.
In Sabah, the eight-year period ended in February 2025, and the EC is currently considering its implementation.
