EC reviewing Sarawak proposal to add 17 state seats, says Mustapha (Video)

KUCHING (March 8): The Election Commission (EC) is currently reviewing Sarawak’s proposal to add 17 seats to its State Legislative Assembly, said Datuk Mustapha Sakmud.

However, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) urged that the process be expedited.

“What is important is that we listen to the voices from Sarawak, particularly regarding the addition of these State Legislative Assembly seats.

“We urge the relevant parties to expedite this process,” he told reporters during a breaking-of-fast and media engagement session with the Sarawak media at an eatery here on Sunday.

On the push for additional parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak, Mustapha said it was reasonable for the issue to be raised.

“Why is this important? Because with the addition of these parliamentary seats, we will be able to focus more on serving and safeguarding the welfare of the people,” he said, noting that many areas in Sabah and Sarawak remain relatively underdeveloped.

He added that Sabah and Sarawak are hoping for more parliamentary seats due to their vast geographical areas.

“So when we increase the number of parliamentary seats, firstly, we can increase funding, and secondly, we can focus on safeguarding the welfare of our people in Borneo so that we can accelerate the development of basic infrastructure,” he said.