BINTULU: The Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Bintulu Branch has described the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly’s (DUN) decision to increase the number of seats to 99 as a rightful, strategic, and people-centric move.
Its chairman, Johnny Pang Leong Ming, said the increase is not only in line with the principles of fairness in the representation system, but also strengthens Sarawak’s voice and political standing within the framework of the Malaysian Federation.
“Peninsular Malaysia has 505 DUN seats, while Sarawak which is almost equivalent in land area deserves a more equitable number of seats. The increase to 99 seats is a step towards correcting this imbalance,” he said in a statement on Thursday.
Pang, who is also the Tanjong Batu Assemblyman, explained that the move provides greater space for public participation, particularly among the youth, in the political arena, thereby nurturing a new generation of capable leaders who understand the aspirations of the people.
According to him, the upcoming redelineation process based on the seat increase will ensure fairer electoral distribution by taking into account population factors, population density, and the development gap between urban and rural areas.
“This step ensures that communities in remote areas are also effectively represented and not sidelined in the state’s decision-making process,” he said.
He added that this issue is not merely about the number of seats but is part of a long-term plan to strengthen the democratic structure and improve the effectiveness of the state government’s delivery system.
Commenting on the broader implications for federal structure, the Tanjong Batu assemblyman said the addition of DUN seats also adds weight to Sarawak and Sabah’s call to secure one-third of parliamentary seats as stipulated under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
“This move aligns with the spirit of the Federal Constitution and provides more balanced political strength for Sarawak in asserting its rights at the national level,” he said.
At the same time, he expressed regret over the actions of certain political parties that rejected the Bill, describing their stance as lacking in factual basis and not reflecting the people’s interests.
“Sarawak needs a rational approach based on the will of the people, not emotional decisions or those driven by narrow political interests,” he added.
In terms of development, he believes that having more DUN constituencies will allow for a fairer and more targeted distribution of allocations, especially in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and the economy.
“The state government will be able to implement development projects in a more systematic manner and address the actual needs of the people in each area,” he said.
Johnny Pang also gave assurance that SUPP Bintulu will continue to support policies and initiatives that benefit the people, particularly those in Bintulu and Sarawak as a whole.
“Supporting the addition of seats is not just a response to current needs, but an investment in a more just, competitive, and inclusive future for Sarawak,” he said.