By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, July 7: While one Sarawak assemblyman serves about 34,000 people, their counterparts in Australia, Canada and South Africa serve up to 100,000 people each—yet the Sarawak government wants 17 more elected representatives?
This was the crux of Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen’s objection to the Dewan Undangan Negeri (Composition of Membership) Bill 2025, which proposes to increase Sarawak’s State seats from 82 to 99.
Debating the bill in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) today, Chong argued that international standards clearly show there is no need to increase the number of elected representatives.
“In Western Australia, one assemblyman serves 49,000 people and covers over 42,000 square kilometers (sqkm). In South Africa’s Free State, each serves 100,000 people. Even in Ontario, Canada, the ratio is 1:129,000.
““I believe our ADUNs are on par, if not better, than theirs. So why are there such grouses?
“Do we really need to increase the number of members when one ADUN is already serving just 34,000 people and covering 1,500 square kilometres?” he questioned.
Chong described the proposal as an unjustified political expansion that would cost taxpayers at least RM2 million a year in salaries, not including lifelong pensions.
He also rejected the argument that the surge in voter numbers due to Undi18 and automatic registration necessitated more elected representatives.
“We serve people, not just voters. Unless Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) is practising a different standard—where you only serve voters, which I doubt—we serve everyone, including youths aged 15, 16, and 17 who are not eligible to vote.
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“So while there has been an increase in the number of voters, the actual population has only grown at a normal rate. Using voter numbers to justify a 20 per cent increase in the number of elected representatives is a flawed argument. It’s simply not a valid reason,” he explained.
Chong further urged the Election Commission (EC) to establish a proper index to balance urban and rural weightage in seat distribution, saying the current system lacks transparency and fairness.
He ended by calling for focus where it matters: more parliamentary seats for Sarawak.
“The people want more Sarawak’s representation in Parliament, not more politicians to ‘makan gaji’ (getting salary) in Sarawak,” he emphasised. – DayakDaily
