Election

POLITICAL PROCESS IN MALAYSIA: ELECTION

TYPES OF ELECTION

There are two types of elections, namely:

1. General elections

2. By-elections

1. General Elections held within 60 days (Peninsular Malaysia) and 90

days (Sabah & Sarawak) after the dissolution of the Parliament or a State Legislative Assembly

not exceeding a period of 5 years from the previous election

TYPES OF ELECTION

2. By-elections held whenever there is a casual vacancy in the House of Representatives or a State Legislative Assembly arising from:

i) the death of an elected representative;

ii) the resignation of an elected representative;

iii) the loss of eligibility of the elected representative;

iv) the annulment of the decision of the election by an Election Court.

TYPES OF VOTING

There are two types of voting in Malaysia and they are as follows:

(a) Normal voting where the normal voters will vote on the day declared as polling day the EC; and

(b) Postal voting where absent voters are allowed to vote earlier via post.

Electors who are allowed to caste their vote by post (i) Election workers; (ii) Members of the Royal Malaysia, Army & Police Force and their spouses(iii) Members and officers of the EC;(iv) students studying overseas and their spouses (v) civil servants serving overseas and their spouses

Election Commission (EC) Established on 4 September 1957 under

Article 114 of the Federal Constitution.

Members

- Chairperson + a deputy + other members

- Appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong

- The members can hold the post until the age of 65

Election Commission (EC)

Vision

- To be an excellent democratic institution that enjoys public confidence on Elections in Malaysia

Mission

- To uphold the System of Parliamentary Democracy and protect the right of the people to elect their representatives by managing, conducting and supervising elections in a fair and free manner

Election Commission (EC) Primary responsibilities:

1) to gazette election boundaries/constituuencies

2) to register and prepare election list3) to organize general and by-elections4) to draw up election rules and regulations5) to manage registration and nomination of candidates6) to count votes7) to declare election results

ELECTORAL SYSTEM Multiparty Electoral System: - the party having the majority of seats

in the House of Representatives and the State Legislative Assemblies can form the Federal Government and the State Governments respectively.

‘First-Past-The-Post System’ - the candidate with the majority of

votes, even if it is one, will be declared the winning candidate in the constituency concerned.

ELECTORAL COMPONENTS

The important elements in an election are:-

i) Electoral constituencies;

ii) Electors;

iii) Candidates;

iv) Electoral process

ii) Electors / Voters

Requirements: - Age 21 years and above - Registered voter - Vote for representatives for federal or state level

Disqualified to Vote If: - Having unsound mind - Carry out jail sentence - Found guilty and is imposed the death sentence - In jail exceeding 12 months in any commonwealth countries


iii) Candidatescan represent a party or stand as an independent candidate.

Requirements:

i) A Malaysian Citizen;

ii) Not less than 21 years of age on Nomination Day;

iii) A resident of the State if one is contesting a seat in that State or be a resident anywhere in Malaysia if one is contesting a Parliamentary seat; and

iv) Has not lost one’s eligibility.



iii) CandidatesA person would have lost his eligibility to be a candidate if one: i) Is found to be or declared to be of unsound mind; or ii) Is a declared bankrupt; or iii) Is found to be holding an office of profit; or v) Has been found guilty by a court in Malaysia and imposed a jail term of not less than 1 year or a fine of not less than RM 2000 and has not been pardoned yet; or vi) Has acquired foreign citizenship.

ELECTION DEPOSITS

Candidates wishing to participate in an election are required to pay election deposits and the quantum is as follows:

1. Parliamentary seat – RM 10,000.00 2. State Legislative Assembly seat – RM 5,

000.00

Candidates will lose their deposits if they fail to garner at least 1/8th of the total number of votes received by all the candidates contesting in the election in that constituency.

ELECTORAL PROCESS

ELECTORAL PROCESS

Documents

Election