By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Sept 3: Sarawak’s proposed electoral redelineation still has another round of public display to go, leaving only a few months before the current term of the State Legislative Assembly (DUS) ends in February next year.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said he is unsure whether there will be sufficient time for the process to be completed before the next State election.
“This is only the first display and there will be a second display.
“I think our (DUS) term ends in February. There are only a few months left. I don’t know whether there is enough time or not,” he told reporters when met after the opening ceremony of the Federation of Engineering Institutions of Asia and the Pacific (FEIAP) 2026 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here today.
He said the redelineation exercise was under the purview of the Election Commission (EC), which is currently displaying its proposed recommendations and seeking public feedback.
“This is the work of the Election Commission. The Election Commission has displayed its proposal, including the names, and we will see the feedback from the public,” he said.
Abang Johari was also asked about some of the proposed constituency names which had attracted attention, including Sejinjang and Samarindah.
He said there was nothing unusual about place names which might sound unfamiliar to people from outside the respective areas.
Citing Pasir Pandak as an example, he said the name referred to an actual village despite sounding similar to other place names.
“There is a place that has a name similar to Pasir Pandak. To those who do not know Pasir Pandak, there is also Pasir Panjang, Pasir Pandak. But there is indeed a village called Pasir Pandak,” he said.
Abang Johari stressed that the more important issue was for the EC to obtain feedback from voters on the proposed constituencies.
“What is important is that the Election Commission displays the proposal and receives feedback from voters regarding their respective areas,” he said.
The EC recently displayed its proposed recommendations for the review of electoral boundaries in Sarawak, involving 17 additional State constituencies.
The exercise would increase the number of Sarawak’s State seats from the existing 82, subject to the completion of the redelineation process and approval of the final proposals.
The current review comes amid Sarawak’s push to restore its position as holding 35 per cent of the seats in the Dewan Rakyat under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
The EC’s proposed boundaries and constituency names remain open to the prescribed public review and objection process before the final recommendations are submitted for consideration. — DayakDaily
