By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Sept 8: Wide disparities in voter numbers between the proposed Sibu and Lanang constituencies have cast doubt on the fairness of the Election Commission’s (EC) redelineation exercise, with former Bukit Assek assemblywoman Irene Chang questioning why Lanang seats would carry almost 26 per cent more voters on average than those in neighbouring Sibu.
Chang, who is the Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak political education director, said the imbalance highlighted broader concerns over the EC’s proposal to create 17 additional State constituencies in Sarawak, warning that the exercise should be used to address representation disparities rather than entrench them under new boundaries.
She observed that the five proposed Sibu constituencies would have a combined electorate of 115,270 voters, averaging 23,054 voters per seat, while the three proposed constituencies in Lanang would have 87,071 voters, averaging 29,024 voters each.
“The EC’s redelineation proposal warrants serious scrutiny given that electorate sizes across the State would range from just 10,372 voters in Pelagus to 34,546 in Piasau.
“Such a wide disparity raises legitimate questions about whether the proposed boundaries provide a sufficiently balanced basis for representation and whether the differences can be justified by geographical, accessibility, community or other relevant considerations,” she said in a statement today.
While acknowledging that constituencies cannot realistically have identical voter numbers due to other factors that must be considered, Chang said the EC should be able to clearly explain and justify large differences in electorate sizes, particularly between constituencies that are geographically close and share similar characteristics.
She also pointed to disparities within Sibu itself, noting that the proposed Nangka constituency would have only 17,493 voters compared with 29,371 in Tanah Mas, a gap of 11,878 voters.
“Pelawan would have 27,215 voters, significantly more than Nangka despite both being within the same division,” she said.
Chang emphasised that the issue extends beyond electoral representation and could also affect the distribution of constituency-based resources and allocations.
“Where resources are provided substantially on a constituency basis, a significantly smaller constituency may effectively receive more resources per voter than a much larger constituency
“This is not to suggest that allocations should be determined purely by voter numbers, but it reinforces the need to examine whether such large disparities are justified,” she said.
She further questioned the proposed transfer of Sentosa and Usaha Jaya from Lanang to the proposed Bukit Kemuyang constituency in Sibu, echoing concerns previously raised by Sibu MP Oscar Ling.
The adjustment would increase Sibu’s electorate from 110,857 to 115,270 voters while reducing Lanang’s electorate from 91,484 to 87,071 voters.
“The EC should explain the rationale for this adjustment and demonstrate how it contributes to a more rational overall distribution of voters,” she said, adding that the key issue was whether the new configuration improved fairness and coherence of representation at both parliamentary and State levels.
Chang said the creation of 17 new State seats should provide an opportunity to correct existing imbalances and produce more balanced, rational and workable constituencies.
“Ultimately, redelineation should be about improving representation and not merely increasing the number of representatives,” she said. — DayakDaily
