cheahsoonhai

Gerakan calls on EC to clean up electoral roll before redelineation exercise takes place

Cheah Soon Hai suggests the adoption of mixed-member proportional representation to better reflect voters' choices

 
 

 

Press statement by

Gerakan Deputy President

Dr Cheah Soon Hai

 
 

 

29 November 2013

 
 

 

In light of recent controversy surrounding former Election Commission (EC) chairperson Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman's speech at a Perkasa event appeared to be an admission of engaging in gerrymandering during his eight-year tenure as commission head, Gerakan Deputy President Dr Cheah Soon Hai was utterly shocked and upset over the former EC chief's unsavoury remarks that raise questions and deep concerns on the independence, credibility and integrity of the EC.

 

 
 

Cheah called on EC to explain over the matter. He also proposed the formation of a special selection committee comprising bipartisan MPs and representatives from NGOs in the selection and appointment of EC chairperson and members with credible individuals who enjoy public confidence.

 
 

 

Apart from ensuring the neutrality of EC, Cheah also urged EC to clean up the electoral roll first before any redelineation exercise takes place to ensure that there are no more dubious names in response to allegations of phantom voters or influx of "foreign voters". He stressed that it is important the redelineation exercise be based on a clean and unquestionable electoral roll to better reflect the social and geopolitical condition of the constituency.

 

 
 

In addition, Cheah also suggested that EC should study the possibility of adopting a mixed-member proportional representation (MMP) in place of the current first-past-the-post (FPTP) as he believed the new voting system would better reflect the different segments of our multiracial society with a balanced and proportional representation to all races.

 

 
 

"I am confident that the MMP could address the serious and burgeoning malapportionment as shown in the last general election because the voting system mirrors the overall proportion of votes received and maintains a balanced representation by all quarters of the society," said Cheah.