By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 10: Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) is expected to receive 10 out of the 17 new State seats proposed to be created in Sarawak, making it the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) component party allocated the largest share.
Citing a source familiar with the plan, news portal Free Malaysia Today (FMT) reported that seven of the seats are expected to be in Malay-majority areas and three in Melanau-majority constituencies, continuing PBB’s strong presence in those regions.
PBB currently holds 47 of the existing 82 seats in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) and is the largest party in the ruling GPS coalition.
The remaining seven new seats are expected to be distributed among the other three component parties of GPS.
Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) is expected to be allocated three seats—one in a Chinese-majority area and two in mixed Chinese-Iban areas.
Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) is likely to receive two new seats, both in Iban-majority constituencies.
Meanwhile, Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) is expected to be given two seats—one in a Bidayuh-majority area and the other in an Orang Ulu-majority constituency.
In the same report, FMT’s source also revealed that the proposed new seats for PBB include Sejinjang (Santubong), Serapi, Semarak (Petra Jaya), Bukit Kemuyang (Sibu), and Permaisuri (Miri) in Malay-majority areas, and Susur Jambu (Sarikei) and Oya (Mukah) in Melanau-majority constituencies.
SUPP’s proposed seats are expected to include Seladah (Bandar Kuching) for a Chinese-majority area, and Tanahmas (Lanang) and Sungai Merah (Sibu) for mixed Chinese-Iban areas.
PRS is tipped to receive Bukit Arip (Selangau) and Melekun (Kapit), while Tabau and Tudan in Miri may also be categorised under Iban-majority, subject to final allocation.
For PDP, Jagoi (Mas Gading) and Sungai Serin (Serian) are identified as Bidayuh-majority areas, while Usun Apau (Baram) is expected to represent Orang Ulu interests.
FMT also quoted the source as saying that the proposed seat allocation appears to be intended to reinforce GPS’s political dominance.
“Looking at the proposed seat breakdown, it is clear that the aim is to strengthen GPS’s dominance,” the source was quoted as saying.
On Monday (July 7), the Sarawak Legislative Assembly passed the Dewan Undangan Negeri (Composition of Membership) Bill 2025, which seeks to increase the number of elected members in the august House from the current 82 to 99.
Two days earlier, on July 5, DUN Speaker Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar clarified that the Bill deals only with increasing the number of State seats and does not involve redrawing constituency boundaries, which remains under the jurisdiction of the Election Commission (EC).
The Bill also does not affect Sarawak’s 31 parliamentary constituencies, which would require a two-thirds majority in Parliament to amend and falls outside the ambit and jurisdiction of the State Assembly. — DayakDaily
