By Mustakim Ramli
SHAH ALAM, Dec 2 — The state government is not ruling out the possibility of adding more constituency seats to the Selangor State Legislative Assembly, after the Election Commission said the lowering of the voting age to 18 years had been gazetted yesterday.
State executive councillor for local government Ng Sze Han said the influx of residents from other states into Selangor is one of the factors that could lead to this.
“We should also focus on the uniformity of the number of voters in the state, between one area and another, so as to avoid the value of incomparable votes to other areas,” he said.
Ng was representing Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari in answering a query by Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lim Yi Wei, regarding the electoral boundaries redelineation proposal during the assembly’s meeting today.
He added that the amendments to Articles 47 and 119 of the Federal Constitution, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, is related to the qualification to vote as well as become a member of the Dewan Rakyat.
“In general, although it has been over two years since the amendment was approved, the process will complete this December 31, and will come into effect starting in 2022,” Ng said.
He noted the last time the State Legislative Assembly saw the addition of more constituency seats was in 2003, which saw 48 seats expanded into 56 areas throughout the whole of Selangor.
Earlier today during the announcement of the gazettement, Election Commission secretary Datuk Ikmalrudin Ishak said the amendments would come into force on December 15, after obtaining the consent of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.
