THE proposal to increase the number of seats in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) is a necessary step to reflect the state’s rapid growth and evolving demographic landscape.
Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap said the Dewan Undangan Negeri (Composition of Membership) Bill 2025 was not about redrawing boundaries, but about adjusting the composition of the august House to ensure every Sarawakian is fairly represented urban and rural alike.
“This is not a redelineation exercise. That will come later. This is about ensuring our legislative body evolves in tandem with Sarawak’s growth in population, in complexity and in aspiration,” he said in support of the Bill during the special DUN sitting here on Monday (July 7).
Yap stressed that under Article 14(1)(c) of the Sarawak Constitution, the authority to determine the number of seats rests solely with the DUN, not the Election Commission of Malaysia (EC).
“The distinction is clear. Composition is our constitutional responsibility, redelineation is a subsequent process governed by the Federal Constitution,” he added.
Touching on the last seat increase, which occurred more than a decade ago, Yap said it was long overdue for Sarawak to update its legislative composition.
“Since then, our population has crossed the three million mark. Our cities have expanded and our voter rolls have ballooned, especially after the implementation of Undi18 and automatic voter registration,” he noted.
He cited Kota Sentosa as an example, highlighting that his constituency, one of the most urban and densely populated in the state, currently has nearly 50,000 voters.
“That’s not just a statistic. It is a daily challenge in delivering services, solving problems and responding to real human needs,” he said.
Yap said representation should not be seen as a political luxury but as a cornerstone of democracy.
“When constituencies become too large, voices are drowned. When urban areas are under-represented, frustrations rise, not because of partisanship but because people feel unseen and unheard.”
He added that balanced representation must consider both urban and rural realities.
“Sarawak’s vast geography makes rural representation essential, but let’s not forget that our urban centres are where population density, economic activity, and service demand are most concentrated,” he said.
Urban constituencies like Kota Sentosa, Yap argued, have long borne the brunt of outdated arrangements.
“We cannot keep ignoring this disparity while claiming to uphold democratic values.
“If we are serious about addressing the imbalance, we must begin by expanding the size of this House,” he added.
