BY-ELECTIONS for parliamentary seats will be a thing of the past if Putrajaya accepts a proposal to adopt the proportional representation (PR) electoral system.

This is among reforms proposed by the Electoral Reforms Committee (ERC), which has been undertaking a review of Malaysia’s current election laws and electoral system since August last year.

ERC chairman Ab Rashid Ab Rahman said the new system proposed will only apply to parliamentary seats, where in the case of a vacancy, the seat will be automatically filled by the incumbent party.

This is based on the reason that in a general election, voters choose the party and not the individual candidate.

“This system, however, is only for parliamentary seats. For state seats, we suggest keeping to the first-past-the-post system,” Rashid told The Malaysian Insight.

This proposal for parliamentary seats is also in line with the proportional representation electoral system, which the ERC is also suggesting to the government, he said.

It is proposing that the PR system replace the current first-past-the-post (FTPT) system that Malaysia has practised since Merdeka.

Under FTPT, the seat goes to the winning candidate, no matter how slim the margin. But among complaints about this system is that it does not reflect the popular vote in the number of seats won by parties. Voters who chose the losing candidate are completely disregarded.

“FPTP remains for state seats because the people need to know the reps of their choice as they are also involved in the government-delivery system,” Rashid said.

Under the PR system, however, ballot papers in a general election will only bear the logo of parties contesting.

The contesting parties have to prepare a list of parliamentary candidates, but division of parliamentary seats will depend on the percentage of votes won by each party.

For example, a party that wins 30% of the votes will get 30% of the seats in Parliament.

“This means even small parties can get a seat if they get a certain percentage of votes,” Rashid said.

However, he is quick to add that the division of parliamentary seats this way will not mix together seats in the peninsula and those in Sabah and Sarawak.

“If it’s mixed, it won’t be fair to Sabah and Sarawak as their parties are state-based.

“For Sabah and Sarawak, we will count according to the parliamentary seats in each state.”

The PR system is used in elections in Turkey, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, New Zealand, Indonesia and Australia.

Rashid said it not only saves costs – by not necessitating by-elections in the event of a seat vacancy – it also makes each vote more meaningful.

“No vote is wasted. Every ballot cast is valued. Every ballot cast will go towards determining the percentage of votes won by a party and thus the number of seats that party wins in Parliament.”

Asked if such a system will lead to more political infighting as candidates jostle to get on their party’s list, he said it is possible.

But Rashid said the system will also help a party pick its best candidates for the list, allowing those with calibre to rise to the top.

The ERC is also proposing that 30% of seats in Parliament be reserved for women, and additional special representation for Orang Asli, he said.

This is based on the feedback the ERC obtained from stakeholders, including women’s rights group, in its consultations on electoral reforms.

The PR system and greater representation for women and minorities in Parliament are among 15 proposals the ERC has been studying since the committee was formed.

The committee divided its work into several clusters in consultation with political parties, government agencies, civil society groups, media practitioners and academicians.

Rashid said the ERC’s interim report is almost ready and will be submitted to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad before year-end. – December 20, 2019.