THE Dewan Undangan Negeri (Composition of Membership) Bill 2025 is both lawful and essential, as it reinforces the democratic process, improves representation and facilitates more effective governance.
Datuk Lo Khere Chiang (GPS-Batu Kitang) said fair representation must consider more than just numbers but also factor in geography, infrastructure, accessibility and the realities of serving remote populations.
“This increase to 99 seats helps address that imbalance. It ensures that more Sarawakians, especially those in hard-to-reach and underserved areas, have a genuine voice in this House,” he said when debating in support of the Bill during the special DUN sitting here on Monday (July 7).
In rebutting the oppositions, he said that both Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong and Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen appear to not want Sarawak and Sabah to have one-third representation in parliament in accordance to Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
“Member for Padungan (Chong) says he supports increasing Sarawak’s parliamentary seats — yet he refuses to support increasing state seats right here in Sarawak.
“How can we achieve demand for more representation in Parliament, if we won’t even increase seat representation in our own DUN? To quote member for Bawang Assan (Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh), there is no such thing as one state seat for one parliament seat. Once again, we see the typical double standard from DAP. Their arguments are not only inconsistent — they are fundamentally flawed,” he said.
Lo added that more seats mean better service delivery, faster response to community needs, and more local voices in law-making — not just more politicians.
“We’re not copying Canada or Australia; we’re responding to Sarawak’s unique needs.
“In Sarawak, many rural constituencies are the size of small states in Malaya, with poor road access, scattered longhouses, and limited telecommunications. One elected representative is expected to cover vast terrains, multiple languages, and serious development gaps,” he said.
