KUCHING: The Election Commission (EC) should take into consideration Sarawak’s preparations for the coming state election amid uncertainty over whether the proposed additional 17 state seats will be implemented in time.
While acknowledging that the commission remains within its constitutional timeframe to complete the redelineation exercise, Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) Speaker Tan Sri Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar said there has yet to be any indication on whether the proposed seats would be ready for use in the next election.
“Months have passed and we have not heard whether the 17 new seats will be in time for the election this year,” he told reporters during a press conference on Saturday (May 9).
Mohamad Asfia said the matter is important given that Sarawak is expected to face its state election this year.
He also said the DUN had already passed the Bill involving the additional 17 seats during the previous sitting on July 7, 2025.
“Under Standing Order 32(3), matters already decided by the Dewan during the same session cannot be reopened unless through a substantive motion for rescission.
“What the Dewan had decided on a specific question in the same session cannot be reopened and reconsidered under Standing Order 32(3),” he said.
Mohamad Asfia also noted that Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) does not have representation in the EC.
“The GPS has no member or representation in the EC. I was informed that a lone member from Sarawak is not from GPS, so the GPS is the voice of the voiceless,” he said.
Mohamad Asfia said the commission should continue to move dynamically in handling matters related to the redelineation exercise.
“The EC should be dynamic, full of verve and vitality. In today’s fast-moving world one has to move forward in order to stand still,” he said.
