By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, March 6: The proposal to increase the number of State seats in Sarawak from 82 to 99 is a necessary step to ensure fairer and more effective representation for the people, says Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) vice president Datuk Michael Tiang Ming Tee.
In supporting a call by Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Information chief Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah for Parliament to promptly endorse the decision made by the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS), Tiang stressed that the move should not be viewed as a political exercise but as a response to the State’s geographical and development realities.
He noted that Sarawak is the largest State in Malaysia geographically, with vast rural areas, riverine settlements and communities scattered across difficult terrain.
“In many constituencies today, representatives are required to serve extremely large areas with scattered populations, often requiring hours of travel by road, river or even air just to reach certain communities,” he said in a statement today.
Tiang, who also serves as the Deputy Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government (Public Health and Housing) and Pelawan assemblyman, added that the resolution to create 17 additional constituencies was thoroughly debated in the DUS and received strong support from members on both sides of the House.
“Other members also pointed out that Sarawak has experienced significant population growth and rapid development in recent years, particularly in urban and semi-urban areas.
“As development accelerates, the demands on elected representatives to respond to community needs, infrastructure requests, and local development issues have also increased,” he pointed out.
Tiang further emphasised that the proposal should not be misconstrued or unnecessarily linked to issues in other States.
He further clarified that while the DUS has approved the increase in the number of seats, the delineation of specific boundaries and locations of the new constituencies falls under the jurisdiction of the Election Commission of Malaysia.
He therefore urged Parliament of Malaysia to respect the resolution passed by the DUS — the State’s highest legislative body — and endorse it without delay.
“Sarawak remains committed to the spirit of federalism and cooperation within Malaysia. At the same time, it is equally important that the democratic decisions made by the DUS are respected,” he said, expressing hope that the endorsement process would proceed in the spirit of mutual respect and constitutional order.
On March 3, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, in a written reply to Kudat MP Datuk Verdon Bahanda, stated that while the Implementation Council for Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MTPMA63) has agreed in principle to increase parliamentary representation for Sabah and Sarawak, the details of implementation, including the number and percentage of additional seats, require further discussion due to potential implications for other states. – DayakDaily
