Pengaruh gerrymandering terhadap pola pengundian di Kawasan Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Kajang dan Bangi, Malaysia (Influence of gerrymandering on voting patterns in the Constituency Legislative Assembly Area of Kajang and Bangi, Malaysia)

Abstract

Persempadanan sesuatu Bahagian Pilihan Raya di Malaysia dilakukan oleh Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR). Hal ini termaktub dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan dan perlu dilakukan setiap 10 tahun sekali berlandaskan kepada keadaan geografi sesuatu kawasan, tahap pembangunan, demografi, kemudahan asas dan komunikasi serta kemampuan Kerajaan (Negeri dan Persekutuan) untuk menampung kos yang terlibat dengan penambahan kerusi DUN. Namun amalan tersebut boleh memberi kelebihan kepada pemerintah sekiranya wujud gerrymandering. Justeru itu dalam artikel ini, kawasan pilihan raya Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Kajang dan Bangi dipilih sebagai kes kajian untuk memeriksa pengaruh gerrymandering 2003 terhadap pola pengundian khususnya dalam Pilihan Raya Umum (PRU) 2004 dan PRU 2008. Berdasarkan data keputusan pilihan raya yang dikeluarkan oleh SPR didapati bahawa persempadanan semula kawasan pilihan raya 2003 memang memberi kesan kepada keputusan PRU 2004 iaitu memberi kelebihan kepada parti pemerintah. Namun pada PRU 2008 calon PAS dan PKR telah memenangi masing-masing kerusi DUN Bangi dan Kajang kerana terkesan oleh pelbagai isu nasional dan krisis kepemimpinan BN. Impak gerrymandering persempadanan semula kawasan pilihan raya terhadap keputusan pilihan raya yang menyebelahi pemerintah umumnya hanya bersifat sementara sahaja.

Katakunci: bilangan pengundi, Dewan Undangan Negeri, kaum, persempadanan, pilihan raya, pola pengundian

Delineation of electoral boundary in Malaysia is carried out by the Election Commission (EC). It is enshrined in the Federal Constitution and the exercise is carried out for every 10 years base on geographical characteristics of the area, the level of development, demography, basic facilities and communications and the affordability of the Government (State and Federal) to bear the costs involved with additional seats. However, such exercises may benefit the ruling party if there exist a phenomenon known as gerrymandering. Therefore in this article, the State Legislative Assembly Areas of Kajang and Bangi were selected to provide the case study by examining the influence of gerrymandering of 2003 on the voting patterns particularly in the 2004 and 2008 General Elections. Based on report obtainable from the Election Commission the study found that the gerrymanderingof the 2003 have influenced the voting patterns in the 2004 general election in favour of the ruling party but the influence could not be extended to the 2008 General Election as national issues and BN’s leadership crisis had been more influential. Generally it can be said that the impact of gerrymandering on the election result that favour the ruling party is not permanent in nature.

Keywords: delineation of electoral boundary, elections, ethnic, number of voters, State Assembly Legislative, voting patterns