THE proposal to add 17 new Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) seats is crucial in ensuring balanced development, particularly between rural and urban areas.
Engkilili assemblyman Dr Johnical Rayong Ngipa said the addition will ensure effective government service delivery and balanced economic growth.
“This includes infrastructure, education, healthcare, economic income, and more,” he said when debating in support of the Dewan Undangan Negeri (Composition of Membership) Bill 2025, during the special DUN sitting here on Monday (July 7).
He added that Sarawak’s geographical conditions are also a contributing factor, as the current number of elected representatives is clearly insufficient to fully focus on their respective areas due to the vast and hard-to-reach territories.
“This is unfair to rural communities based on the principle of representation.”
With the growing number of registered voters, he said it is up to the Election Commission (EC) to carry out investigations to identify efforts to propose the creation of new districts and polling centres.
“This is important as a guideline, especially in identifying new DUN seats in Sarawak, particularly in rural areas, not merely based on population and voter numbers, but with greater emphasis on the vastness and inaccessibility of certain constituencies.”
