THE addition of 17 seats in Sarawak’s State Legislative Assembly (DUN) would pave the way for the increase in parliamentary seats for the state.
Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said this aligned with efforts to uphold the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
He said that reaching the one-third target would require an increase in parliamentary seats, which must be supported by more seats in the state assembly.
“For years, we’ve been fighting to ensure that Sabah and Sarawak would hold one-third, or 33 per cent, of parliamentary seats.
“The number of state seats must grow first, and that’s likely one of the reasons behind proposing such a big increase this time,” he told reporters during a press conference following the passing of the Dewan Undangan Negeri (Composition of Memberships) Bill, 2025 yesterday.
Abdul Karim recalled that the last redelineation exercise in 2014 saw an increase of 11 state seats, whereas this time, the addition of 17 seats is unprecedented.
He hoped Sabah would follow Sarawak’s move which could lead to more parliamentary seats being allocated to both Borneo states.
“If both states have more seats in their DUNs, we could see more representation in Parliament, hopefully approaching that one-third threshold,” he added.
However, he clarified this was his personal view and not an official policy direction.
When asked why 17 new seats were chosen, he said the number 99 was symbolically and strategically ideal.
He noted that structurally, the DUN chamber could accommodate up to 108 seats, leaving room for future expansions if necessary.
“99 is the highest double-digit number. If we go beyond that, it may look like we’re competing with Parliament, which has three digits,” he said.
He added that the State Legislative Assembly building itself reflected the number nine in its design elements.
“There are nine pillars, nine arches above, and nine floors,” he said.
