3A-3 Electoral reform through better representation

By: Jusni Yusoff

Organisation/ Individual: IKRAM

Policy Code: 3a Electoral Reform

Problem Statement and Current Policy:

Gerrymandering and malapportionment of constituencies, leading to under-representation and over-representation of constituencies. *Malapportionment is the creation of electoral districts with divergent ratios of voters to representatives.

Value(s) and Belief:

Adhere as close as possible to the 1-man 1-vote principle in the delineation of federal/state constituencies. Amend the Federal Constitution (Jadual 13).

Proposal of Solution and Call for Action:

1. Engagement with key stakeholders – Election Commission and Attorney General Chambers of Malaysia. 2. Amend the Federal Constitution (Schedule 13, Federal Constitution). 3. Election Commission to conduct a redelineation exercise to make constituencies approximately equal.

Additional information:

1) Federal Constitution. 2) NST, 2019. Real flaws are gerrymandering, malapportionment’ https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2019/07/505239/real-flaws-are-gerrymandering-malapportionment 3) Malaysian Bar, 2018. “Gerrymandering: Destruction Of A Democracy–101” https://www.malaysianbar.org.my/article/news/legal-and-general-news/members-opinions/gerrymandering-destruction-of-a-democracy-101