By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, Mar 22: Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) Speaker, Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar, stressed the vital need for Sarawak to increase its seats from 82 to 99, given the vast size of the State.
He hoped that once the Election Commission (EC) completes the ground-level studies on the proposed delineation, the federal government would approve of it.
Asfia explained that although the DUS has approved the increase in seats, the rest is up to the EC and the federal government.
“It is not the DUS’ job anymore. It is the EC’s job as it will investigate how the boundaries or delineation process are at the grassroots level.
“So far, there is no report from the EC,” he said when met by reporters at Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Urban Development Datuk Len Talif Salleh’s Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house today.
Mohamad Asfia explained that following the delineation process, the EC will confirm it before presenting it to Parliament for tabling.
He added that approval for the new seats at the DUS level requires a simple majority, which should not be a problem.
“However, adding parliamentary seats requires a two-thirds majority by the house, and the Sarawak government may need to work hard to obtain it.
“Sarawak is very big. I hope the federal government and EC understand. Sarawak needs constituencies,” he said, adding that the current DUS term will expire in February 2027.
In July last year, the DUS passed a Bill to increase the number of seats from 82 to 99, but the move requires approval from Parliament before it can take effect.
On March 8, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak), Datuk Mustapha Sakmud, said that the EC is currently looking into Sarawak’s proposal to increase the number of State Legislative Assembly seats and expressed hope that the process can be expedited. — DayakDaily
