Dapsy questions GPS silence over alleged Sarawak redelineation plan

KUCHING (March 11): The silence from Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) over a document circulating online that allegedly outlines plans for electoral redelineation in Sarawak has raised further questions.

Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth (Dapsy) Sarawak secretary George Lam said the lack of response from the ruling coalition has deepened public suspicion regarding the authenticity and origin of the document.

The 98-page PowerPoint, widely shared on social media, is believed to be an internal electoral redelineation paper originating from Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu.

Lam said the document’s detailed plans for constituency restructuring and seat allocation have sparked concerns about the independence of the redelineation process.

“The document clearly outlines how constituencies would be redrawn, the areas affected, the names of proposed new constituencies, and even how seats would ultimately be allocated internally within the ruling coalition after the redelineation.

“Such comprehensive, structured and detailed information cannot simply be dismissed as speculation,” he said in a statement.

He urged GPS to clarify the matter to dispel public doubts if the document is unrelated to the coalition.

“However, if the contents reflect internal discussions, GPS has a responsibility to explain why political parties would be discussing or planning electoral boundary changes in advance, and whether there was any attempt to influence the independent functioning of the Election Commission (EC),” Lam added.

He stressed that the EC, as an independent institution, must ensure electoral boundary delimitation is based on objective factors such as voter demographics, population distribution, number of voters, and geographical considerations.

Lam also highlighted the need to balance representation, noting that while urban constituencies with large voter populations may require subdivision, rural and interior areas must continue to have adequate representation given Sarawak’s vast geography and uneven population distribution.

He warned that if the final redelineation proposal released by the EC closely mirrors the circulating document, it would raise serious concerns about whether the commission’s independence has been compromised.

“Electoral redelineation must always be conducted with full transparency. The entire process should be subject to public scrutiny to ensure that every region receives fair and equitable representation. No individual or political party should be allowed to interfere,” he said.