KUCHING: The proposed addition of 17 state constituencies could eventually pave the way for Sarawak to gain more parliamentary seats, which political analyst, Professor James Chin, sees as the most significant longer-term implication of the exercise.
The University of Tasmania Professor of Asian Studies said the proposed increase in the number of State Legislative Assembly (DUN) seats was therefore a positive development for Sarawak.
“My overall take is that this increase in seats is actually a good thing for Sarawak because it will eventually lead to more parliamentary seats. That is the most important thing,” he told Sarawak Tribune.
Chin said the proposed new constituencies also reflected Sarawak’s population growth, particularly in urban and developing areas.
He estimated that seven or eight of the 17 proposed seats, or about half, were in growth areas, particularly Kuching, Sibu and Miri.
“With the growth in Sarawak’s population, especially in the urban areas, we can see about half of the seats are actually going to the growth areas, especially Kuching, Sibu and Miri. Again, that is a good thing,” he said.
Chin said the creation of additional constituencies in these areas would also help address disparities in the number of people represented across constituencies.
He pointed out that elected representatives in more populated urban areas may have to serve considerably larger numbers of constituents compared with those representing less populated rural areas.
“We really shouldn’t allow rural MPs to look after a very small number of people versus urban MPs who have to look after a much bigger population,” he said.
The Election Commission (EC) has proposed the creation of 17 new state constituencies as part of its review of federal and state electoral boundaries in Sarawak.
If approved, the exercise would increase the number of seats in the Sarawak DUN from the current 82 to 99.
While the proposed seats would help accommodate Sarawak’s changing population distribution, Chin said their wider significance lies in what an expanded state representation could eventually mean for Sarawak’s representation in Parliament.
