Selangor may increase number of seats in State Assembly - Exco

SHAH ALAM: The state government has not ruled out the possibility of increasing the number of seats in the Selangor state legislative assembly taking into account the rise in the number of voters aged 18 to 20 and increase in population due to migration to the state.

State Local Government and Public Transport Committee chairman Ng Sze Han said, however, focus should also be on apportioning the number of voters in the state between one area and another.

This was to avoid the occurrence of malapportionment or irregularity that would result in the value of votes in one constituency not being comparable to another.

Ng said this on behalf of Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari at the state assembly sitting today, in reply to a question from Lim Yi Wei (PH-Kampung Tunku) who wanted to know about the proposed redelineation in the state.

Ng said in 2019 the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara had approved amendments to Article 47 and Article 119 of the Federal Constitution which lowered the age limit from 21 to 18 and it was related to the eligibility to vote in elections; as well as the qualification to be a Member of the House of Representatives.

"Generally, although it has been more than two years since the amendments were approved, this process will be completed on Dec 31, 2021 and effective from 2022, according to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar," he said.

According to him, the last time the number of seats was increased in the Selangor state assembly was in 2003. This was done when the redelineation process was carried out before the 11th general election in 2004 in which eight seats were added, from 48 seats to 56 constituencies in the state.

-- BERNAMA