SARAWAK must expand its State Cabinet to cope with rapidly growing socio-economic demands and structural governance challenges.
Tebedu assemblyman Dr Simon Sinang Bada said this while debating in support of the Constitution of Sarawak (Amendment) Bill 2025 at the DUN sitting on Monday.
He said the state’s development landscape has changed so dramatically that the current Cabinet structure is no longer capable of managing the complexity of modern governance.
“Sarawak today stands at a critical juncture of transformation. The responsibilities on our shoulders have grown tremendously, yet the size of our Cabinet has remained relatively small,” he said.
Dr Simon said Sarawak’s socio-economic expansion is occurring at a pace without precedent, driven by digitalisation, renewable energy, hydrogen technology, rural transformation, modern agriculture and urban sustainability.
“These emerging sectors require ministers who can focus on highly technical and specialised policy areas.
“The issues we are facing today, whether climate resilience, data governance or youth development, are far more complex than what the original Constitution envisioned.
“To manage these specialised domains effectively, we need specialised ministers.”
In this context he said that overburdening a single minister with multiple major portfolios risks slowing down policy decisions and weakening strategic focus.
“No single ministerial portfolio should be so overloaded that it compromises decision-making.
“If we want Sarawak to progress at the speed we envision, we cannot continue operating with a Cabinet structure designed for a very different era,” he said.
Dr Simon also presented comparative arguments, noting that Sarawak governs a territory of 124,000 square kilometres, larger than the combined areas of all 11 states of Peninsular Malaysia.
“It is unrealistic to expect a Cabinet meant for the Sarawak of the 1960s to manage the Sarawak of 2025 and beyond.
“We administer vast interior regions, remote communities and a rapidly modernising economy.”
He warned that when a minister holds two or three heavy portfolios at once, the entire administrative chain becomes strained.
“Strategic decision-making becomes diluted. Issues get delayed. Rural areas suffer. Policies lose focus,” he said.
Dr Simon argued that to avoid such bottlenecks, expanding the Cabinet is a structural necessity.
“Increasing the number of ministers ensures a more balanced workload, faster implementation and improved service delivery,” he said.
Dr Simon emphasised that the amendment is not about politics but about preparing the state for long-term governance needs.
“This amendment is strategic. Sarawak is asserting its rights under MA63. As we take back powers in education, health and energy regulation, our governance machinery must be strong enough to carry these mandates,” he said.
He said to govern a rapidly modernising state, the state needs a Cabinet that is prepared, empowered, specialised, flexible and visionary.
“This is a bold step forward, a step towards stronger governance and a step towards realising Sarawak’s full potential,” he added.
