By Amanda L
KUCHING, March 15: Speculation over the possible renaming of the Tasik Biru constituency to Singai falls under the jurisdiction of the Election Commission (EC), says Tasik Biru assemblyman Datuk Henry Harry Jinep.
He said political parties have no authority over constituency names as the matter forms part of the electoral redelineation process handled by the EC.
“That matter is part of the redelineation process and falls under the jurisdiction of the EC. Political parties do not have a say in this.
“Perhaps the commission has its own reasons for proposing the name change,” he told reporters after attending the triennial meeting of the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) Tasik Biru division here today.
Henry said changes to constituency names and boundaries were not unusual, noting that several adjustments had taken place in the Bau area over the years.
“In the past, Bau later saw the creation of Bungoh, which later became Serembu, and parts of Bungoh were eventually split again to form Puncak Borneo,” he said, adding that such decisions ultimately rest with the EC.
The issue has drawn attention following a leaked document outlining proposals for Sarawak’s electoral redelineation, which reportedly include renaming several existing seats, including Tasik Biru to Singai.
This follows the passing of a Bill to increase the number of State seats from 82 to 99 in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) in July last year.
Meanwhile, when asked how many seats PDP expects to contest following the upcoming redelineation exercise, Henry, who is the party’s deputy president, said it was still too early to determine.
“At the moment, we are still waiting for the approval for the new State seats in Parliament. So for now, we are not making any statements yet. Let’s just be patient,” he said.
He added that decisions on seat allocation within the ruling coalition Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) would depend on discussions among its component parties.
Henry also said any decision on whether the party would give way to other component parties, as happened in certain constituencies in previous elections, would first have to be discussed within the party.
“This is a party matter and must be discussed with the Supreme Council. Ultimately, the decision will also depend on the consensus of the GPS leadership,” he said. — DayakDaily
