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Delineation Exercise: Challenge from EC Chairman Datuk Abdul Rashid accepted Statement by Kerk Kim Hock (Petaling Jaya, Monday): The Election Commission (EC) Chairman, Datuk Abdul Rashid was quoted in the Sin Chew Jit Poh yesterday as challenging political parties and NGOs which have alleged that the EC has been biased towards the government or that the EC has not been neutral to see him and argue their cases out with him.  He said that there were allegations claiming that the Election Commission was collaborating with the Barisan Nasional and this has resulted in frequent BN’s electoral victories.   DAP ‘s frequent and persistent criticisms against the Election Commission has been based on principles of democracy and fairness. In the case of the constituency delineation exercise, DAP has also questioned the drawing up of the boundaries based on an extra factor ----the criteria announced by the Election Commission itself.   Since Datuk Rashid has openly issued the challenge, in the interest of the principles of democracy and fairness, as well the image of the EC and the interest of Kota Melaka voters, I have decided to take up his challenge and to see him with regard to the constituency delineation exercise for Kota Melaka parliamentary constituency.   I will leave it to Datuk Rashid to decide whether the meeting to argue things out will be done openly in the presence of the Press or behind closed doors. What I expect from the EC is that it is able to persuade and convince me, in the delineation exercise for Kota Melaka parliamentary constituency, the EC has been fair and professional in accordance with the principles of democracy, fairness as well as the criteria that it has used in the constituency delineation.   Until now, I cannot find any defensible logic why the EC could amend its original proposal in the way that it has done for Kota Melaka seat after hearing appeals from the Malacca state government.   I hope Datuk Rashid will treat this mater as urgent and fix a date for our meeting as early as possible.   In my meeting with him, I hope that Rashid will explain in detail how the EC has drawn up the first proposal and why it has, in deviation from past practice, made vast changes to its own proposal in the round two of the constituency delineation.   Kota Melaka voters who  have supported the DAP candidate for the last 30 years will want to know what arguments have been put forward by the Melaka state government to convince  the EC to make such extensive amendments.   In my meeting with Datuk Rashid I will bring up, amongst other arguments, the following points:     Voter distribution in the original EC’s proposals for the affected parliamentary constituencies more evenly distributed   Constituency code Constituency Total voters (Original proposal) Total voters (Amendment)  P136 Tangga Batu 55,602 51,369 P137 Bukit Katil 61,849 62,304 P138 Kota Meaka 76,737 80,233     Voter distribution in the state constituencies under Kota Melaka parliament seat more evenly distributed in the original EC’s proposal   I Original Proposal                                                    II Amendment Constituency Total voters Constituency Total voters Kesidang 15,334 Kesidang 14,701 Tengkera 14,962 Kota Laksamana 19,052 Pengkalan Rama 16,813 Duyung 13,946 Banda Hilir 16,110 Banda Hilir 19,096 Teluk Mas 13,458 Teluk Mas 13,458     This is the first point that the EC must answer, why has it abandoned its first proposal which is more evenly distributed in terms of voter population, not only for the three affected parliamentary constituencies but also for  the five state seats under the Kota Melaka parliamentary constituency?   (24/2/2003) * Kerk Kim Hock, DAP Secretary General and MP for Kota Melaka