Hisham: Redelineation of electoral boundaries by EC does not favour any party

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein (pix) said today that the redelineation of electoral boundaries in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah carried out by the Election Commission (EC) does not favour Barisan Nasional.
"How is this a strategy by Barisan Nasional if even I as Umno's vice-president don't know what the EC is doing?"
Hishammuddin, who is Sembrong MP, said he will look into what the EC has planned and it will be brought to parliament to debate.
"All the dissenting parties can debate it in Parliament," he said after officiating the ground-breaking ceremony of the Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera or Army Fund Board (LTAT) housing project in Bukit Jalil today.
Meanwhile, Parti Amanah Negara communications director Khalid Samad said PAS' current non-committal position would be a problem in predicting the outcome of an election.
"We will surely win if we were the strong Pakatan Rakyat of PAS, PKR and DAP.
"However, it is hard to say now as PAS may become a spoiler," he said in a press conference at Amanah headquarters here today.
In JOHOR BARU, the redelineation of electoral boundaries is expected to see about 13,000 voters move out of the Gelang Patah parliamentary constituency to the Kulai parliamentary seat.
Gelang Patah MCA division deputy chairman Tan Ba Ba said the recommended redelineation would involve five polling districts, namely Sri Pulai, Ulu Choh, Bandar Ulu Choh, Teratai and Pulai.
"EC should reconsider maintaining the boundary seats such as during the 13th general election (GE13) as we (Barisan Nasional and MCA) have been focusing fully on these polling districts before this," he said.
In IPOH, Perak DAP claimed Pakatan Harapan would lose two state seats, Changkat Jering and Sungai Rapat, in the 14th general election following the proposed redelineation exercise.
State DAP secretary Wong Kah Woh, who is also Canning assemblyman, said a large number of voters had been moved out from the two constituencies and it is expected to give BN a win.
The Penang state government, meanwhile, said it will file an objection before Oct 14.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who is DAP secretary-general, said the proposed redelineation affected two state seats, namely, Paya Terubong and Air Putih, which is held by him.
"The redelineation added more voters in Paya Terubong to 41,000 while my constituency is reduced to 12,000 voters," he said.
Meanwhile, electoral watchdog Bersih 2.0 has called upon voters to object the EC's proposed redelineation exercise, claiming that the regulating body has created further malapportioned seats.
"The EC has failed to abide by its duty to the Constitution by failing to correct malapportionment in the latest redelineation exercise. They have also committed active violations like gerrymandering and negligence with this exercise,"
Its steering committee member Dr Wong Chin Huat told reporters during a press conference today.