By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, July 5: The Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) is expected to pass the Bill to increase the number of elected members in its upcoming special sitting, with federal endorsement likely to follow.
Sarawak Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said with Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) holding a strong majority in the House, the Dewan Undangan Negeri (Composition of Membership) Bill 2025 is set to be approved without issue during the one-day sitting next Monday (July 7).
“With the kind of majority that GPS has got in the DUS, this tabling of the increase in number of DUS seats will definitely go through. The way I see it,” he told reporters when met at Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) headquarters here today.
Following its endorsement at the State level, the Bill is expected to be brought to Parliament, where Abdul Karim foresees no obstacle to federal approval.
“I don’t see any reason why it should not be endorsed. Because it’s not a parliamentary increase, it’s a State increase.
“When the DUS has already endorsed it, rightfully, the way I see it, it should also be endorsed in Parliament,” he added.
Abdul Karim who will be the minister responsible in tabling the Bill, clarified that the task of delineating the new constituencies lies with the Election Commission (EC).
He believes the EC may have already conducted a study after the last Sarawak Election in 2021, particularly after the sharp increase in voter numbers triggered by the lowering of the voting age from 21 to 18.
He also touched on the issue of constituency size disparity, particularly between urban and rural areas. While democratic systems uphold the principle of “one person, one vote”, he said rural weightage remains relevant in Sarawak due to geographic realities.
“In urban areas like Tabuan Jaya or Batu Kawa, the number of voters might be easily 15,000 to 20,000. But in places like Ulu Baram or Ulu Kapit, the same number of voters could be spread across several hundred kilometres.
“Thus, you have to find a balance. There’s no such thing as it must be carved and stoned this way—’one person, one vote’,” he added.
When asked whether Sarawak was aiming for federal endorsement before the upcoming Dewan Rakyat session from July 21 to Aug 28, Abdul Karim said it remained speculative.
“Well, I think it’s up to speculation only. We have been asking for an increase in the number of parliamentary seats also. We are also asking for our rights to be returned under Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
“This might be seen to be one of the efforts because for us to increase the number of parliamentary seats, it must also be through an increase in the number of State seats,” he explained.
Asked about large constituencies that might be affected by delineation, he named Senadin and Tupong as examples, but reiterated that final decisions rest with EC.
He also noted that demographic shifts due to new housing developments and improved infrastructure especially in areas like Desa Ilmu in Samarahan, have contributed to voter imbalances, not just in Kuching but also in towns such as Sibu and Miri. – DayakDaily
