By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, July 7: Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap has hit back at Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen over the latter’s objection to the proposed expansion of Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) seats, questioning the logic of calling for more parliamentary constituencies without first expanding and rationalising state seats that form their basis.
“If he genuinely cares about increasing Sarawak’s representation in Parliament, why did he not bring a motion in the Dewan Rakyat instead of making rhetorical noise here?
“As the Member of Parliament for Stampin, he contradicts himself—on one hand insisting there is no need to increase state seats, yet on the other hand proposing to increase parliamentary seats.
“How do you increase parliamentary constituencies if you refuse to first expand and rationalise state seats that form their basis?” he said in his debate speech in support of the Dewan Undangan Negeri (Composition of Membership) Bill, 2025 here today.
He argued that with 99 state seats, Sarawak could credibly push for more representation in the Dewan Rakyat, following the principle that each parliamentary constituency generally comprises two DUS seats. This would potentially allow Sarawak to argue for 49 parliamentary seats, up from its current allocation.
Yap accused Chong of offering “confusing arguments to score political points” rather than presenting a “coherent, constructive proposal”, further questioning why the Padungan rep chooses to compare Sarawak to distant Commonwealth countries like Australia or South Africa instead of looking within Malaysia, particularly at Peninsular Malaysia, which has 505 state seats across 11 states despite already having well-developed infrastructure.
“Why is the Honourable Member from Padungan so selective in his comparisons? Is he trying to divert attention and mislead the people of Sarawak?” Yap asked.
He also took aim at Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong for what he described as a “fundamental misinterpretation” of the Federal Constitution, particularly her claim that Article 46 alone empowers Parliament to increase the number of parliamentary seats.
“Article 113 is crystal clear that any change in the number of seats requires a redelineation exercise by the Election Commission. You cannot simply cherry-pick Article 46 in isolation,” he asserted.
Yap stressed that the Bill before the Sarawak Legislative Assembly pertains to the composition of state seats, not parliamentary ones, and said Yong’s argument was not only irrelevant but also misleading.
He reaffirmed his support for the Bill, saying it was a necessary first step in addressing imbalances between urban and rural representation and ensuring effective governance amid population growth, particularly in urban constituencies like Kota Sentosa.
“One elected representative serving nearly 50,000 voters is not just a statistic—it’s a daily challenge. More seats mean smaller constituencies, closer engagement, and better service delivery. That is not politics—that is practical governance,” he said.
To his constituents, Yap gave his assurance: “I hear your concerns. I see your struggles. And I will fight to ensure this process results in fairer, more just representation for urban Sarawakians who have long felt overlooked.” — DayakDaily
