By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 8: A parliamentary constituency spanning more than 685,000 acres and some 900 longhouses could be left without an additional Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) seat under the Election Commission’s reported proposal for 17 new constituencies.
In a statement, the omission of the proposed Bukit Kelingkang seat has drawn disappointment from Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), which argues that Sri Aman’s sheer size, difficult terrain and scattered communities warrant an additional elected representative.
Parliamentary constituency P.202 Sri Aman currently comprises three State seats, namely Balai Ringin, Bukit Begunan and Simanggang. Together, they cover approximately 685,224 acres, with about 900 longhouses and settlements spread across rural, riverine and hilly areas.
The proposed Bukit Kelingkang seat was earlier put forward to PRS as part of the delineation exercise, with its proponents citing population size and composition, geographical practicality, accessibility, connectivity and administrative efficiency as key considerations.
Balai Ringin assemblyman Datuk Snowdan Lawan, who is also Deputy Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts and PRS Information Chief questioned why the proposed seat was absent from the reported list.
“We appreciate the Election Commission’s effort in identifying where the 17 new seats would be, but it looks like the entire area of Sri Aman, including its adjacent Lubok Antu, has missed having one,” he said.
For Sri Aman MP and PRS Women Chief Dato’ Sri Doris Brodie, the issue goes beyond political representation.
“This is not merely a political request but a genuine necessity based on geography, accessibility and the needs of the people,” she said.
The constituency’s vast footprint presents challenges that differ considerably from those faced by more compact or urban areas.
Communities are often located far apart, while parts of its rural and interior areas continue to require better road connectivity, treated water supply, electricity, telecommunications and other basic amenities.
Doris pointed out that the growing pace of development across Sri Aman had also placed greater demands on elected representatives, who must coordinate projects, engage with communities, monitor their implementation and ensure services reach remote areas.
“The creation of a new DUS seat would bring government closer to the people by improving access to elected representatives, strengthening grassroots engagement, enhancing the monitoring of development projects and ensuring public services are delivered more efficiently,” she said.
She added that the argument was consistent with Sarawak’s long-standing position that electoral boundaries should take into account more than population figures, particularly in large rural constituencies.
“Geographical size, accessibility and development needs should also form part of the equation, given the practical difficulties of serving communities spread across vast distances,” she said.
The proposed Bukit Kelingkang constituency would, in their view, provide a more manageable area of representation while giving communities greater access to their elected representative.
For now, however, the seat does not appear among the 17 new constituencies in the Election Commission’s (EC) reported proposal, leaving Sri Aman’s representatives questioning whether the constituency’s unique geographical and development challenges have been adequately considered.
The EC has yet to finalise the proposed delineation. — DayakDaily
