Up to EC whether increased DUN seats implemented in next state election — Len Talif
KUCHING (July 8): The decision on whether the proposed increase to 99 seats in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) will be implemented in the next state election lies entirely with the Election Commission (EC), said Datuk Len Talif Salleh.
The Deputy Minister of Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment said he could not comment on the timeline for implementation, as it falls under the EC's jurisdiction.
'I don't know, that is up to the EC. It depends on how quickly they can carry out the redelineation process,' he said in a press conference held in conjunction with the upcoming Sarikei Tuanku Haji Bujang Bridge Half Marathon at the DUN complex here yesterday.
Len Talif was responding to Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen, who had earlier questioned the need to increase the number of DUN seats from 82 to 99.
Referring to the redelineation process carried out in 2014, he said the time required for such exercises can vary from case to case.
'Historically, some cases have taken several years, others just one year and some only a few months.
'It's entirely up to the EC. We have no authority to instruct them to expedite the process, as they must adhere to specific guidelines and protocols,' he said.
'We have made the announcement regarding the 99 seats, but in the end, it is the EC that will determine the redelineation within the existing parliamentary boundaries,' he explained.
On a related matter, he said the principle of 'one person, one vote' cannot be applied strictly in Sarawak due to the state's vast size and low population density in certain areas.
According to him, building basic infrastructure such as a one-kilometre road in an urban area 'costs significantly less' than in rural areas even if fewer people live there.
'Even if the infrastructure benefits only a small number of rural residents, the impact on their lives is substantial. That's why infrastructure needs must also be considered during redelineation deliberations.
'All these factors must be taken into account by the EC in deciding on the new electoral boundaries,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Borneo Post
5 days ago
- Borneo Post
GDP not true measure of prosperity, focus must be on fair growth, says Abang Johari
Abang Johari arrives at the PSFTC 2025. – Photo by Mohd Faisal Ahmad KUCHING (Aug 6): Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures should not be viewed as the sole measure of a nation's prosperity, said Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg. Speaking at the Public Sector Financial Transformation Conference (PSFTC) 2025 here today, he pointed out that while GDP growth is often used to gauge economic progress, it does not necessarily reflect the true quality of life or economic well-being of the people. 'GDP growth can reflect that a country is developing and achieving higher economic returns. But it doesn't really reflect what's happening on the ground. 'GDP does not necessarily give you the right picture. A country can appear prosperous, but its people may still struggle,' he said, citing Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, who has long argued that GDP is a limited and sometimes misleading measure of national well-being. Abang Johari explained that GDP, which is calculated by dividing the total value of goods and services by the population, does not capture existing inequalities in society. 'There are certain sectors of the society that remain poor. 'Because of that, my view is that while we maintain and try to put good GDP numbers, we must also have a process to redistribute that growth fairly to our citizens,' he said. He highlighted education as a key pillar of equitable development under the state's Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030. 'Against that background, we can uplift the quality of our people with the right educational background to add value to our resources. 'Thus, God willing, starting next year, we will give free tertiary education to all Sarawakians,' he said. Addressing the audience of senior officials, department heads, and finance professionals, Abang Johari also outlined the importance of sound financial planning. He emphasised three core principles: consumption, investment, and savings. 'These three components must be the determining factors when you draw your budget. 'If we follow this principle, I believe that the state or the government will be on the right path,' he said. Drawing comparisons to Nordic countries such as Norway, Finland, and Sweden, Abang Johari praised their disciplined and effective financial management. He noted that although Norway discovered its oil and gas reserves later than Malaysia, it has successfully elevated the living standards of its people through careful resource management. 'In Sarawak, we have some income but we have to look into how we manage our income. 'That is why I set up our sovereign wealth fund and whatever we have, we don't spend it lavishly,' he said. Abang Johari also stressed that public finances must ultimately benefit the people, especially through strategic redistribution efforts. 'We must make sure that when we redistribute, it must have an impact on the people. 'This is what I call a re-engagement exercise.' Abang Johari fair growth GDP
The Sun
5 days ago
- The Sun
Court of Appeal rules EC's Covid-19 voter ban unlawful
PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal today ruled that the Election Commission's (EC) decision to bar a registered voter from casting his ballot in the 2022 Johor state election due to Covid-19 quarantine restrictions was unlawful. A three-member bench comprising Justices Datuk Supang Lian, Datuk Wong Kian Kheong, and Datuk Ismail Brahim held that the EC had violated R.K. Tamileswaaran's constitutional right to vote under Article 119 of the Federal Constitution by preventing him from exercising his right to vote. 'The first respondent (EC) had committed an 'error of law' or an illegality in this case by denying the appellant's (Tamileswaaran's) right to vote in the election,' he said. In delivering the court's unanimous decision, Justice Wong said the High Court had erred in ruling that the EC's duty under Article 113 of the Federal Constitution to conduct elections was subject to the Covid-19 prevention SOP and the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (PCDA). 'The SOP and PCDA cannot restrain the EC's duty to conduct elections,' he said. Justice Wong issued a certiorari order to quash the EC's decision, and granted several declarations sought by Tamileswaaran. The court allowed Tamileswaaaran's appeal to overturn the Dec 7, 2022, decision by the High Court in dismissing his judicial review. The court did not make any orders as to costs. While acknowledging that courts have the discretion to award monetary compensation for breach of the right to vote, Justice Wong said no constitutional compensation would be granted in this case. He said this was because the EC's decision was made based on the SOP in the interest of public health and safety, and its officers had acted in good faith in this case. In the judgment, Justice Wong held that the SOP and the PCDA regulations created by the Director-General of Health and the Minister of Health, respectively, are subsidiary legislation and not Federal law or an Act of Parliament. The court also dismissed arguments submitted by the EC and the government, represented by senior federal counsel Mohammad Al-Saifi Hashim and Fauziah Daud, that public policy considerations on public health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic were sufficient grounds to dismiss the judicial review. ' A voter's right to vote is a constitutional right and not a statutory right,' added Justice Wong. In his judicial review application, R.K. Tamileswaaran claimed that he was on the sixth day of his Covid-19 quarantine and had tested negative on a self-administered test. He stated that he was barred from entering the polling station because his MySejahtera application displayed a high-risk status, and he had not obtained permission from the district health officer to vote. The court's decision was delivered via online proceedings. Tamileswaaran was represented by lawyers New Sin Yew and Nur Izni Syazwani Ahmad. - Bernama
The Star
5 days ago
- The Star
EC's decision to bar voter under Covid-19 quarantine unlawful, appeals court rules
PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has ruled that the Election Commission's (EC) decision to bar a registered voter from casting his ballot in the 2022 Johor state election due to Covid-19 quarantine restrictions was unlawful. A three-member bench, comprising Justices Supang Lian, Wong Kian Kheong, and Ismail Brahim, found that the EC violated RK Tamileswaaran's constitutional right to vote under Article 119 of the Federal Constitution by preventing him from exercising this right. "The first respondent (EC) committed an 'error of law' or an illegality in this case by denying the appellant's (Tamileswaaran's) right to vote in the election," Justice Wong said in delivering the court's unanimous decision. He noted that the High Court had erred in ruling that the EC's duty under Article 113 of the Federal Constitution to conduct elections was subject to the Covid-19 prevention SOP and the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (PCDA). "The SOP and PCDA cannot restrain the EC's duty to conduct elections," he stated. Justice Wong issued a certiorari order to quash the EC's decision and granted several declarations sought by Tamileswaaran. The court allowed Tamileswaaran's appeal to overturn the Dec 7, 2022, decision by the High Court, which dismissed his judicial review. No orders were made as to costs. While acknowledging that courts have the discretion to award monetary compensation for the breach of the right to vote, Justice Wong said no constitutional compensation would be granted in this case. This was because the EC's decision was made based on the SOP in the interest of public health and safety, and its officers acted in good faith. Justice Wong also held that the SOP and the PCDA regulations, created by the Director-General of Health and the Health Ministry, respectively, are subsidiary legislation and not Federal law or an Act of Parliament. The court dismissed arguments submitted by the EC and the government, represented by senior federal counsel Mohammad Al-Saifi Hashim and Fauziah Daud, that public policy considerations on public health and safety during the Covid-19 pandemic were sufficient grounds to dismiss the judicial review. "A voter's right to vote is a constitutional right and not a statutory right," Justice Wong added. In his judicial review application, Tamileswaaran claimed he was on the sixth day of his Covid-19 quarantine and had tested negative on a self-administered test. He stated that he was barred from entering the polling station because his MySejahtera application displayed a high-risk status and he had not obtained permission from the district health officer to vote. The court's decision was delivered via online proceedings. Tamileswaaran was represented by lawyers New Sin Yew and Nur Izni Syazwani Ahmad. – Bernama
