Call for prompt re-delineation of Sarawak’s electoral boundaries

KUCHING: The Election Commission (EC) should promptly notify the Dewan Rakyat Speaker and the Prime Minister to propose for a re-delineation exercise of Sarawak’s electoral boundaries to be carried out.

Political analyst Dr Lee Kuok Tiung of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) noted that Sarawak is nearly the size of Peninsular Malaysia, yet the state only has 31 parliamentary seats.

In addition, he said, the on-going process of urbanisation and migration usually changes the needs and composition of the population or voters of an area.

“There is no reason to further delay it since Sarawak is ripe for a re-delineation exercise, given that the last one was done in 2015,” he said when contacted.

The re-delineation exercises, he said, was a responsibility of the EC under the Federal Constitution to ensure that voters were served easily by their elected representatives.

“The EC has the final say and they should have all the details needed and know what to do already. Therefore, they should immediately kick-start the exercise as Sarawak needs and deserves more parliamentary seats,” he said.

Without a re-delineation exercise, Lee said, it would be difficult for the constituents to obtain good services from their elected representatives, especially in the interior of Sarawak.

Elaborating further on the process, he said, EC would need to inform Dewan Rakyat Speaker and Prime Minister before gazetting the notice for the re-delineation exercise.

“It is not a very difficult process as it mostly involves getting views and opinions of the local authorities, community leaders, voters and residents as well as recommendations from various parties,” he explained.

On Jan 1, the EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Salleh said the EC was considering and examining the appropriateness to carry out the process.

According to Article 113 of the Federal Constitution, there will be separate reviews for the states of Malaya (including the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya) as well as Sabah and Sarawak.

It was reported that the eight-year period to conduct a re-delineation exercise in Sarawak would be in 2023, Sabah in 2025, and for other states in 2026.

Meanwhile, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) president and Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said they will present recommendations to the EC regarding the re-delineation exercise.

He said the party has a special committee responsible for overseeing re-delineation issues.

“For now, the matter (re-delineation) is still under study. We will only make recommendations because the final decision lies with the EC,” he told reporters recently.