By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 11: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Northern Sarawak branches have proposed the creation of two new State Legislative Assembly (DUNS) constituencies of Beluru and Medamit as part of the ongoing redelineation exercise that is set to increase the number of Sarawak State seats from 82 to 99.
The proposal is backed by PRS branch leaders from across northern Sarawak, namely Marudi branch chairman Peter Sujar Chambai, Senadin chairman Rantai Achin, Bekenu chairman Johnson Jangu, Lambir chairman Pandang Semat, Pujut chairman David Stephen, Batu Danau chairman David Upe and Bukit Kota chairman Sandai Jarom.
In a joint statement today, the PRS Northern Sarawak divisions said the proposed DUN Beluru under P.220 Baram and DUN Medamit under P.221 Limbang were necessary to provide more effective representation for rural and interior communities, particularly given the geographical challenges faced by voters in the region.
“The proposal is based on a study and preliminary mapping prepared by the Northern Region Re-delineation Team (NRRT) in 2024, which included the mapping of areas, polling districts and the number of voters involved,” they said.
For P.220 Baram, which currently comprises three DUN constituencies of N.76 Marudi, N.77 Telang Usan and N.78 Mulu, PRS proposed the creation of a fourth seat, DUN Beluru, through the reorganisation of existing boundaries.
Under the proposed arrangement, N.76 Marudi would be redelineated with an estimated 15,004 voters, while the new DUN Beluru would have about 15,194 voters. N.77 Telang Usan would have an estimated 17,489 voters, while N.78 Mulu, after redelineation, would have about 11,117 voters.
“The proposed Beluru constituency would cover the Beluru, Teruking, Long Teru and Jegan polling areas, together with the reorganisation of Nabor and the creation of a new Sungai Buri Polling District.
“The proposal would also see the Lubok Nibong and Puyut polling areas transferred from N.78 Mulu to N.76 Marudi, while N.77 Telang Usan would remain largely unchanged,” they explained.
PRS said the creation of DUN Beluru would provide more focused representation for communities in Beluru and surrounding areas and help accelerate social and economic development, infrastructure improvements and the provision of basic amenities in central Baram.
For P.221 Limbang, which currently has N.79 Bukit Kota and N.80 Batu Danau, PRS proposed the creation of DUN Medamit, bringing the number of seats from two to three.
Under the proposal, both Bukit Kota and Batu Danau would be redelineated, while the new Medamit constituency would encompass Medamit, Lubai, Ukong, Berawan and surrounding areas, subject to the final boundaries to be determined by the Election Commission of Malaysia (SPR).
“The proposed Medamit seat would enable more focused attention to be given to the development needs of rural and interior areas of Limbang, including roads, water and electricity supply, telecommunications, public facilities and community economic development,” they said.
The party stressed that voter numbers should not be the sole basis for determining electoral boundaries in Sarawak.
They said Sarawak’s geographical realities were significantly different from those of most areas in Peninsular Malaysia, with communities in places such as Baram and Limbang dispersed across villages, longhouses and interior settlements.
“Fair representation is not merely about how many voters are represented by an elected representative, but also about the distance and difficulty a representative must cover to reach the communities they represent,” PRS said.
The party said factors such as geographical size, population distribution, the number of villages and longhouses, distance between settlements, accessibility, transport networks and the level of development should also be taken into account alongside voter numbers.
PRS Northern Sarawak said the proposed creation of Beluru and Medamit was not merely intended to increase the number of political seats.
“Its primary objective was to bring government closer to the people, strengthen representation and accelerate the delivery of development to rural and interior communities.
“With more manageable areas of responsibility, elected representatives will be able to give closer attention to community issues, monitor development projects more effectively and improve coordination with government departments and agencies,” they said.
The seven PRS branch leaders also called on the Sarawak government and Election Commission (EC) to give serious consideration to the proposed constituencies and to ensure that the redelineation of existing DUNS boundaries takes into account polling districts, community ties and geographical continuity.
They further urged that voter data, geographical size, population distribution, villages and longhouses, as well as accessibility, be used as key considerations in the redelineation exercise.
PRS Northern Sarawak said the proposal for Beluru and Medamit had an existing basis in the preliminary studies and mapping conducted by the NRRT in 2024.
“Balanced development requires balanced representation.
“This is not merely about adding DUN seats. It is about bringing the government closer to the people, ensuring that the voices of interior communities are heard and ensuring that development reaches them in a fairer and more effective manner,” it said. — DayakDaily
