By Zareef Muzammil
SHAH ALAM, Aug 2 — The proposal to increase the number of Selangor State Legislative Assembly seats in Selangor is still being looked at and will take a while before it can be realised.
Speaker Ng Suee Lim said the addition of more state seats necessitates cooperation between the state government and the Election Commission (EC)
“The proposal was made, but the process is quite complicated and difficult. It is currently being examined on the executive level and will not be resolved in the nearest future,” he said at the assembly session earlier today.
Speaking to reporters after the First Selangor Plan’s (RS-1) winding-up session of the, Ng said said the state government is within its right to propose the matter, but all decisions depend on Parliament.
“We have the power to add more state seats, even though according to the (Federal) Constitution we have to wait every eight years. However approval is at the Parliamentary level.
“It is a bit strange in Selangor as 17 Parliamentary constituencies have over 100,000 voters, like Bangi and Petaling Jaya. So it is quite burdensome for any given representative to carry out his or her duties,” he said.
When asked about the possibility of the motion being brought to the next State Legislative Assembly in November, Ng said the priority at the moment concerns the 2023 Selangor Budget and the Anti-Party Hopping Bill.
“As Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari mentioned before the end of the winding-up session just now, we do not know if this may be the final state assembly session. If Parliament dissolves, we will follow accordingly.
“If Parliament is not dissolved before November, we will convene for the Anti-Party Hopping Bill and the 2023 Selangor Budget,” he added.
On March 21 Amirudin said Selangor would bring a motion to increase its state assembly seats, to create a balance among the number of voters in urban and rural areas in order to ensure everybody would receive equal service.
He added that state assembly seats with more than 75,000 voters are expected to experience the change, but the EC will make all final decisions.
