‘Seat boundaries can only be redrawn in 2016’

PETALING JAYA (Jan 7, 2014): The Election Commission (EC) will only be able to redraw the electoral boundaries in 2016 after submitting its report on the implementation to Parliament.
The EC is "considering" increasing the number of seats in this exercise, its chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said.
"The EC will make the announcement of its proposal to re-delineate the electoral boundaries.
"From the date of the announcement, we are given two years to submit our report on the changes to the Prime Minister who will table it in Parliament," Abdul Aziz told theSun today.
"Who said it will be tabled in March? It has not even been announced," he said, when referred to a report in a Chinese daily recently.
He said Parliament needs a simple majority to redraw boundaries but would have to amend the Federal Constitution to increase the current 222 parliamentary seats, which requires a two-thirds majority.
The last time the redelineation exercise took place was on March 21, 2003 when the number of seats was increased from 192 to the current 222.
Abdul Aziz said the biggest challenge would be in ensuring there is approximately equal percentage of voters with a good racial mix in each constituency.
The exercise may face a problem since Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has stated that it will "fiercely oppose" any re-delineation of boundaries by the EC's current leadership as the electoral roll and dubious voters issues have not been resolved.
Election watchdog Bersih has also expressed a similar view, stating that it will launch another rally if the electoral roll is not cleaned up.