KUCHING: Decisions on State Cabinet size, ministerial portfolios and any future restructuring remain the prerogative of the Sarawak Premier.
Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, said matters such as whether ministries would be merged, separated or newly introduced were best left to the Premier’s discretion, given the rapidly changing global landscape that now includes emerging areas such as artificial intelligence and digitalisation.
“Who should be in the Cabinet and what ministries are to be introduced or dropped rest on the CEO, and the CEO here is the Right Honourable Premier,” he told reporters before the D’Drift 2026 flag-off at the DayakDaily office today.
Abdul Karim noted that there had been no discussions so far on changes affecting the ministries under his purview, and he expected the current arrangement to remain at least for this year, even if it turned out to be an election year.
He also remarked that the ministries he oversees covering culture, sports and the performing arts were areas closely connected to the people, requiring constant engagement and commitment, often extending into weekends.
On the increase in the number of state assembly seats, Abdul Karim said Sarawak had amended its state constitution last year to raise the number of seats from 82 to 99, a move that had been unanimously endorsed by the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly.
However, he said final endorsement was still required from the Federal Parliament, as the Federal Constitution also stipulates the number of state seats.
“We are still waiting for it to be tabled. I doubt Parliament will go against it, because doing so would mean not respecting the wishes of the people of Sarawak,” he said.
Should the endorsement not be completed in time, Abdul Karim said the next state election might still have to be held based on the existing 82-seat configuration.
Touching on the timing of the next Sarawak state election, he said the current term would end in December 2026, based on the five-year tenure under the Westminster system, calculated from the first sitting of the State Assembly in January 2022.
While elections are typically called before the full term expires, Abdul Karim said the final decision on the timing rested solely with the Premier, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
“Whether it is July, September, October, November, December or even January 2027, it is entirely up to him,” he said, adding that Sarawak’s current political stability provided flexibility in determining the most suitable time.
