PROHAM-GMM Discussion: Fixing the boundaries of electoral constituencies

How was GE13 won? What can the EC do to influence the outcome of GE14? What role do citizens play in the process?

Should there be more seats in Parliament?

How many voters should there be in an Electoral Constituency?

 Who decides?

 What criteria are/should be used to decide?

 How can citizens contribute effectively to the process?

Proham and the Global Movement of Moderates (GMM) are jointly hosting this Roundtable Discussion.

Date:           May 15, 2014 (Thursday)

Time:           8 - 10 pm (7 – 8 pm coffee/tea and chat)

Venue:         Global Movement of Moderates,

                    15th Floor, Menara Manulife, No. 6, Jalan  Gelenggang, Damansara Heights, KL

Objectives

•Reveal the impact electoral boundaries played in determining the outcome of GE13 and the opportunities the GE13 results have provided for influencing the results of GE14, e.g. through increasing the number of seats in Parliament and through redrawing the boundaries of electoral constituencies.

•Consider the importance of this question: Which should come first, deciding the number of seats in Parliament or deciding where to draw the boundaries of constituencies?

•Describe a framework for an informed, ongoing public conversation about the differences in sizes of constituencies (e.g. 144,000 voters in the constituency of Kapar versus 37,000 voters in the constituency of Sabak Bernam). This will equip participants to direct good questions to the Election Commission.

•Discuss the DART method initiated by BERSIH 2.0 to enable citizens to contribute effectively to the necessary work of constituency delineation.

Program

 8.00 – 08.10pm   Introduction by Datuk Kuthbul Zaman (Proham Chairman)

 8.10 – 08.40                 Situation Overview by Dr Wong Chin Huat (see speaker profile below)

 8.40 – 08.50                 The DART method by Mr Thomas Fann (see speaker profile below)

 8.50 – 10.00                 Response by invited speakers (to be announced) and the floor

 Speaker profiles

Dr. Wong Chin Huat earned his PhD from University of Essex, UK with a thesis on electoral system and party system in Malaysia. He is now a fellow and Head of the Political and Social Analysis Section at the Penang Institute. His research interests covers ethnic politics and political institutions especially electoral system and federalism. He served Bersih 1.0 and 2.0 as a steering committee member from 2006 to 2013 and is now the resource person to the Delineation Action and Research Team (DART), a joint venture of Bersih 2.0 and Engage (a JB-based civil rights group).

Mr. Thomas Fann has been involved in community work for over 25 years, serving with non-profit organisations in Malaysia, Singapore and Africa. Currently he is the chairman of Engage, an NGO based in Johor that developed the DART programme to train and equip citizens to monitor and object to any unfair or unconstitutional re-delineation by the EC. He is also Bersih 2.0's vice-chair for Southern Peninsula. 

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 Register for participation: email your name and organization (if any, alternatively indicate ‘concerned citizen’) to prohamsecretariat@gmail.com.