TAMIN assemblyman Christopher Gira Sambang has proposed eight new state seats within the Selangau area for consideration under the Dewan Undangan Negeri (Composition of Membership) Bill 2025.
He also suggested a new parliamentary seat, Bukit Buan, which was carved from Kakus and Tamin within the Selangau parliamentary boundary.
Among the proposed seats are Bukit Kelankang, Mapai/Sibu Jaya, Bukit Arip, Tubau, Pengejau, Medamit, Anau, and Sungai Plan.
He said the proposed seats were part of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS)’s submission to the Gabungan Parti Rakyat Sarawak (GPS) redelineation committee and aimed to address voter distribution, geographical remoteness, and service delivery challenges in rural areas.
“Let me illustrate this with my own constituency, Tamin, which spans over 3,472 sq km and serves more than 23,000 voters, including many in rugged and hard-to-reach areas.
“Likewise, the Selangau parliamentary constituency now covers over 9,193 sq km and encompasses more than 45,700 voters, making effective representation and delivery of services increasingly challenging,” he explained.
He said this when debating in support of the Bill in the August House today.
The Bill seeks to increase the number of elected members in the State Legislative Assembly from 82 to 99.
Gira stressed that the increase in elected representatives will ensure better outreach and service delivery, particularly in rural Sarawak.
He added that the Bill also aligns with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and Sarawak’s Post-Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.
He reiterated his full support for the amendment and called for a corresponding increase in Sarawak’s parliamentary seats at the federal level.
“The addition of 17 state seats represents a critical recalibration of our democratic structure. I sincerely hope that a corresponding increase in parliamentary seats for Sarawak will soon be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat.
“As a founding partner in the Federation of Malaysia, Sarawak deserves fair and proportionate representation, not just in this House, but also in Parliament.
“This is not merely about numbers, it is about constitutional justice and regional balance,” he said.
