SHAH ALAM, Sept 21 — Allocations for each state constituency should be based on population size and density rather than distributed equally, says Batu Tiga assemblyman Danial Al-Rashid Haron.
He proposed that the mechanism be considered ahead of the Selangor Budget 2027 to better meet the needs of constituencies with large populations.
“I hope this can be reconsidered by taking into account the additional needs arising from Undi18 and new housing developments, which have made our constituencies increasingly densely populated.
“Each constituency cannot receive the same amount because our needs are different,” he said during Media Selangor's ‘SKOP Belanjawan Selangor 2027 programme’ recently.
Citing Batu Tiga as an example, Danial said the densely populated constituency, with an estimated 300,000 residents, consistently sees high demand for various forms of assistance and state government initiatives.
He said this was among the main challenges facing Batu Tiga, as the high number of applications for assistance and various state government initiatives could not always be met due to funding constraints.
“There are simply too many applications. I believe there will inevitably be some that we have to reject. Some receive assistance through state government initiatives, while others are helped through the constituency office,” he said.
Selangor had previously taken steps to increase allocations based on the number of voters. However, population growth driven by new housing developments and the implementation of Undi18 has continued to increase demand in constituencies such as Batu Tiga.
Danial therefore hoped the allocation mechanism could be further improved by taking population density into account, allowing assistance and various state government initiatives to be channelled according to the actual needs of each constituency.
The issue of disparities in constituency allocations has emerged amid rapid growth in the number of voters in urban and suburban areas, particularly following the introduction of automatic voter registration and Undi18.
Rapid growth in new housing developments has also contributed to higher population density, increasing funding needs for basic welfare assistance, community development and the maintenance of public infrastructure.
For the record, the Selangor government allocated RM3.23 billion under its 2026 budget for the state's operating and development expenditure.
Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said RM1.86 billion, or 57.6 per cent, was allocated for operating expenditure, while RM1.37 billion, or 42.4 per cent, was set aside for development.
The state budget is tabled annually by the menteri besar in the Selangor State Legislative Assembly, with the Selangor Budget 2027 scheduled to be tabled in November.
