Voter Yvette Mah Looi Yin speaks to reporters after the objection hearing at Concorde Hotel in Shah Alam January 3, 2018. — Picture by Mukhriz Hazim

SHAH ALAM, Jan 3 — The Election Commission's proposed redrawing of electoral boundaries would create seats with massive voters populations, said voters objecting to the exercise in Selangor today.

During today's hearing, Yvette Mah Looi Yin who represented 172 voters cited concerns with the proposed Damansara (P106) seat that would replace their Petaling Jaya Utara constituency.

She said Damansara would have at least 150,000 voters or about four times the size of Sabak Bernam, the smallest seat in Selangor.

“One the existing problem was the term 'approximately equal,' which was not clearly defined with a formula,” she said at the objection hearing held at Concorde Hotel, Shah Alam today.

Mah said that if the redelineation is done in its current form, the member of the Parliament for the area would have constituents served by three different local authorities.

DAP’s Tony Pua is the current MP for Petaling Jaya Utara.

She said it would not be possible for a single lawmaker spread so thinly to be able serve voters effectively.

“It is unfair to voters as they would be under-served by our MP because of multiple new urban and rural districts.

“We want the EC to listen to our voice and to give effect to the spirit of the Constitution that all should be equal,” she said.

Chua Piak Chwee from the P.106 Damansara constituency speaking to reporters after the objection hearing at Concorde Hotel in Shah Alam January 3, 2018. — Picture by Mukhriz Hazim

Chua Piak Chwee, who represented at least 110 voters, said the size variations were illogical given the Federal Constitution stated that constituencies should be approximately the same sizes. However, this is no longer a requirement.

Chua said the EC's proposed redelineation would dilute the rights of voters in her area, noting that the Damansara would cover 60 per cent of the state and would have 10 times the voters in Putrajaya.

“Our constituency will become the biggest in Selangor and possibly the largest in the country,” he said, when noting that the exercise would cause the seat to go from 85,000 voters to 150,000.

The proposed redelineation exercise would see parts of constituencies such as Selayang, Bukit Lanjan, Kepong and Sungai Buloh absorbed into the new parliamentary seat.

Chua said redelineations should aim to improve service to voters rather than to worsen this.

“By pulling various voting districts into the new constituency, the needs of the people would differ, so how can one MP serve such a large area?” he said.

The EC resumed hearing of objections in Selangor after the Court of Appeal allowed it to continue the process that had been halted by a legal challenge from the state government.

The EC started its redelineation process in September 2016, with the constitutional timeframe of two years meaning that it has to complete the process in September 2018.