ELECTION COMMISSION IN MALAYSIA (SPR)

 Election Commission of Malaysia (SPR)

Author: Afifah, Aiman, Nureen, Aleeya, Iman, & Syakir

            Malaysia’s Election Commission was created on 4^th September 1957 through Article 114 of the Federal Constitution. The Election Commission (EC) is the body in charge of overseeing, monitoring, administering, and responsible for managing all election processes in Malaysia. Apart from that, the Election Commission must play a role in ensuring that the country's democratic process runs smoothly and equally. In accordance with Article 114 of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, the Election Commission has been given the authority to conduct Dewan Rakyat general elections, State Legislative Assembly general elections, and by-elections. The Election Commission is also in charge of ensuring people have the opportunity to vote for their own representatives.

            Next, in terms of membership are the members of the Election Commission consists of a Chairman, a Deputy Chairman and five members consisting of representative of the Sabah State, representative of the Sarawak State, representative of the Malays, a representative of the Chinese and the Indians. After consultation with the Conference of Rulers, His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong appointed them.  Figure 1 shows the latest organizational chart of the Election Commission in Malaysia.

            Furthermore, there are several conditions in serving as a member of the Election Commission, among them is that a member must hold office until the age of 66 years. They can also resign if they are disqualified by writing to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Members of the Election Commission will also not be fired from their posts except for certain matters. A member of the Election Commission, on the other hand, may be dismissed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong if he or she has recently gone bankrupt, holds another salaried job, or is a member of the Parliamentary Council or the State Legislative Assembly.

            The Election Commission also has a number of responsibilities. One of them is that the Election Commission is responsible for updating and redefining electoral divisions for a period of at least eight years after they are redelineated. Constituency boundaries must be published in the gazette and reported to the Speaker of the House of Representatives as well as the Prime Minister. The Election Commission then manages voter registration as well as reviewing the voter register. An individual is eligible to register as a voter if he or she is a Malaysian citizen who is not less than 21 years old on the date of eligibility and is not disqualified. General and by –elections are also held by the Election Commission. To assist the Election Commission in running its affairs smoothly, the Chief Administrator of the Secretariat has been chosen to serve as Secretary.

            Finally, the Election Commission is critical to ensuring that the election process runs smoothly and equally, free of pressure from either the ruling party or the opposition.

Figure 1. The latest organizational chart of the Election Commission in Malaysia. 

Source: https://www.spr.gov.my/en/node/15

 

References

FAFA. (2016, September 22). Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya . Retrieved from https://fafadat1a16.blogspot.com/2016/09/suruhanjaya-pilihan-suruhanjaya-pilihan.html

Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya Malaysia. (2021, May 5). Retrieved from https://www.spr.gov.my/en/spr-info/history

YAHYA, T. H. (2019). DEMOKRASI DAN PILIHAN RAYA. In T. H. YAHYA, PENGAJIAN AM STPM SEMESTER 1 (pp. 47-48). PUCHONG: LOCAL PUBLICATIONS (M) SDN BHD.