Maps of Social Action - Danesh Prakash Chacko

MAPS OF SOCIAL ACTION: CASE OF ELECTORAL REFORMDanesh Prakash Chacko (Tindak Malaysia Network Services PLT)

ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE, ONE VALUE• Understanding Electoral Delimitation• Challenges in Preparing for an

Objection• Power of GIS and maps• Case Study: Sarawak Delimitation

2015• Conclusion

ELECTORAL DELIMITATION/ MALAYSIAN ELECTORAL SYSTEM• Delimitation• Parliamentary style government• First Past the Post (FPTP) • Gerrymandering and malapportionment• Electoral Quotient (EQ)

TINDAK MALAYSIA : WHO WE ARE?• Successful in training

Polling & Counting Agents for 2013 elections

• Delimitation is one of the big ongoing Projects

• Why do we invest time, money and energy in the Delimitation project?

Tindak call of Volunteers (Above) and Polling Agent Advert (Left)

CHALLENGES OF OBJECTION PROPOSAL1. Geospatial Challenge

• No Free Maps/ Dataset• Poor quality of Data

2. Time Challenge• 30 days to present objection

3. Financial/ Other Challenge• USD 6000 for the maps &

electoral roll!• No funding

This map was issued for the delimitation of Sarawak (Left). This was the ONLY map provided by EC for us to analyse and object.

POWER OF GIS AND MAPSEARLY DAYS (2013 -14)

• Scanned Maps to Digital Dataset

• Google Maps Engine (GME) – Not Effective

• Photoshop and GIS approach

• Redistricting Using Excel

Scanned Map to GME. It takes 14 hours to finish one seat ONLY!

POWER OF GIS AND MAPSEarly Days (2013 - 14)

The map on the leftis published part ofTindak Malaysia Forum (2014).It is a product of Photoshop,GIS and Excel redistricting

POWER OF GIS AND MAPSCurrent Approach (2014 - )

• Georeferenced & Digitization using QGIS

• QGIS training for everyone

• Development of QGIS Redistricting Plugin Redistricting plugin developed by Sean Lin.

POWER OF GIS AND MAPS1) Objection Purpose

• Maps lowered barriers to objection

• Alternative boundaries are proposed quickly

One of the prominent lawyers filed a court case to push disclosure of maps from EC for public to access freely.

2) Education Purpose

• ArcScene of voting value

• CartoDB

POWER OF GIS AND MAPS

Difference in Voting Value for Sarawak using ArcScene. Shared by a number of Malaysian NGOs

CASE STUDY: SARAWAK DELIMITATION• Two Rounds of Delimitation

(January & March 2015)• One month to object• Challenges:• Small scale map available• Electoral Roll too costly• Very limited information for

objection• Collaborated with Local

NGO to file an objection for one seat –providing maps

CASE STUDY: SARAWAK DELIMITATIONCourt Case on Redelineation (9 months battle)

State Assemblyman & Registered

voter (applicants) file a court

case against EC

Kuching High Court

instruct EC to redo

redelineation

EC appeals to Court of

Appeal

Court of Appeal

override the Kuching

High Court’s Ruling

Applicants file court case to Federal Court

Federal Court upholds EC

redelineation

CONCLUSION• Delimitation Project opened people’s mind to GIS and maps• Maps are fundamental to fact-based objection• Challenges : Data Access, Public Awareness and Judicial Review on electoral

matters• Would like to Thank:• Tindak Malaysia team

http://www.tindakmalaysia.org/ • Rise of Sarawak Efforts (ROSE)

http://www.sarawakrose.org/