KUCHING: The 17 new state seats approved by the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN) in July are likely to be contested in the next state election.
Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Information Chief, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, believes the Election Commission (EC) could finalise and implement the changes in time for the next Sarawak election.
“We still have time. Now it is 2025, and if they want to do it, they can. The EC can take the cue from the assembly’s endorsement and start working on the 17 new seats,” he said.
He told a press conference this after officiating the DayakDaily’s ‘Homestay Odyssey’ Writing Competition 2025 award ceremony here today.
Abdul Karim said as the assembly had approved the additional seats, the EC was expected to respect and act on the decision.
He said the endorsement of new state constituencies was part of the legislature’s role as the state’s highest law-making body.
“As much as possible, the EC must also respect the assembly. If we pass the law to add seats, it must be respected. If the EC does not respect the legislature’s decision, it is not good either because there are three organs of government.
“I believe the new seats will go together with the state election, unless a crucial situation like a no-confidence vote arises,” he explained.
Abdul Karim said the redelineation exercise require several steps, including ground surveys by the EC and eventual endorsement by Parliament.
He noted that while the DUN had approved an increase from 82 to 99 seats, the official breakdown had not yet been released.
“Presently, even though the assembly has endorsed 17 new seats, the public is still not in the know where they are. What we see on social media are just guesses. There are rumours that some will be in Kuching or Miri, but nothing is official.
“Only after the EC publishes its proposal and seeks public feedback will we know the exact constituencies,” he said.
He said despite uncertainties, there was still ample time before the current state government’s term ends in 2027 for the redelineation to be completed.
“Once the carving out is done, it will be up to Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) leaders to decide how those seats are allocated,” he added.
According to Abdul Karim, the distribution of seats would be decided collectively by PBB, Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), as had been the practice in the past.
“Putting it as if PBB is the one distributing will not look good. The state is managed by four parties.
“Although PBB is the dominant component, we must be fair and listen to the others. Smaller parties also need to be practical. Normally, all four presidents will sit down and discuss,” he said.
