CSOs urge govt to serve full term, ensure fair electoral review

KUCHING (March 26): A group of civil society organisations (CSOs) has urged the Sarawak government to complete its full term until Feb 13, 2027, to allow sufficient time for electoral reforms, including constituency delineation and postal voting for Sarawakians living outside the state.

In a joint statement, Rise of Social Efforts (ROSE) and 22 other organisations said the delineation review, which began in July 2025 following the gazettement of an increase in state seats from 82 to 99, must be carried out carefully and not rushed.

They noted that the Election Commission (EC) has until July 15, 2027 to finalise new electoral maps, a process that includes public notices, objections and local inquiries across the state.

“The review process includes two rounds of public notice, submission of objections and local inquiries across the state, which may take weeks depending on the number of objections, and it must not be rushed through,” they said.

The groups also called on all parties, including politicians and the media, to stop spreading misinformation on the seat increase, stressing that the expansion to 99 seats is final and does not require parliamentary approval.

“The increase to 99 state seats is final. Parliament can only approve the final electoral boundary proposed by the EC, a process that has not been started. Any confusion on this matter has undermined the political self-efficacy of the Sarawak people and must be stopped,” they said.

They urged the EC to publicly propose maps promptly to facilitate public scrutiny and ensure the process remains open, under Article 113(3A) of the Federal Constitution, proceeds transparently and within the stipulated timeline for the 16th Sarawak State Election.

On constituency delineation, the coalition said the EC must ensure ‘approximately equal’ voter distribution while taking into account geographical size and community ties.

They highlighted disparities between constituencies such as Baram and Igan, calling for such imbalances to be addressed in the new maps.

“Outright double standards between rural constituencies — like Baram, which is larger than Perak with 61,446 voters, and Igan, which has only 29,132 voters — must be eliminated in the proposed maps,” they said.

To enhance transparency, they proposed that the EC provide comprehensive information during the review, including digitalised maps, constituency size and justifications for boundary changes, as well as decisions on objections raised.

They also stressed that no constituency should be excluded from the review process.

On voting access, the groups pressed for the introduction of postal voting for Sarawakians residing in other parts of Malaysia, particularly students and workers who may face difficulties returning home to vote.

“The meaning of Sarawak’s presence in Malaysia might be called into question if voting rights for Sarawakian diaspora in other parts of Malaysia depend on their affordability, thereby creating a painful class divide.

“At the very least, the EC must introduce postal voting for students in public universities and colleges where the implementation structure is already in place,” they said.