By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 16: Selangau is reasonably suited to be divided into three State constituencies based on its vast geographical area and significant increase in voter numbers, says Sibu Rural District Council councillor Denis Atut.
He said this justified the proposal to create a new Bukit Arip State constituency, which would comprise parts of the existing Tamin and Kakus constituencies, as part of the ongoing electoral boundary review.
“Selangau, which covers about 9,183 sq km, is reasonably large enough to be divided into three State constituencies based on its geographical size and significant increase in voter numbers,” he said in a statement today.
Denis further said previous redelineation exercises had shown that some parliamentary constituencies with voter numbers comparable to Selangau had three State constituencies, allowing for more effective representation.
He added that Bukit Arip was a suitable location for the proposed new seat due to its central position within the Selangau parliamentary constituency, which could provide more strategic access for surrounding communities.
He said the proposal would also create a more balanced distribution of geographical coverage, population and development needs, while bringing representation closer to rural communities.
Selangau currently has 49,266 voters, up from 31,097 in the 2021 Sarawak Election, an increase of about 18,167 voters.
Tamin’s voter count has risen from 16,681 to 25,311, while Kakus has increased from 14,416 to 23,955.
Denis said without an additional State seat, Selangau, at about 9,183 sq km, would remain among the four largest parliamentary constituencies in Malaysia with only two State constituencies.
He said this would place Selangau alongside Hulu Rejang, Baram and Kinabatangan, which have three State constituencies each following previous redelineation exercises approved by the Dewan Rakyat in 2015 for Sarawak and 2019 for Sabah.
“The situation needs to be given attention because the large geographical area and growing number of voters could pose challenges for elected representatives in ensuring that services and development reach communities comprehensively.
“The creation of the new Bukit Arip State constituency would be a symbol that the government has never left rural areas behind in the development agenda.
“Instead, we want to ensure that rural communities also enjoy development, facilities and services on par with other areas,” he said. — DayakDaily
