PRS info chief questions parliament ‘buying time’ over ‘decapitated’ 17 State seats approval

Snowdan Lawan

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, July 2: Parliament should not “buy time” as Sarawak demands a clear explanation on what has “decapitated” the approval of 17 new State seats and why the matter continues to remain unresolved, says Balai Ringin assemblyman Datuk Snowdan Lawan.

Snowdan, who is also Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) information chief, has joined Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) information chief Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah in voicing disappointment over the prolonged delay.

He said political circles in Sarawak are “unsparingly disappointed” that the 17 new constituencies will not be available for contest in the upcoming State election, due this year.

“Apparently it looks like the task has been swept under the carpet with undue delay. There appears to be no clear progress despite what should have been a straightforward legislative and administrative process,” he said in a statement today.

The Sarawak Legislative Assembly had approved the Bill in July 2025, which was expected to increase the number of State seats from 82 to 99. However, despite three parliamentary sittings, the Bill has yet to be tabled.

Snowdan questioned whether certain parties had “purposely intended to fail Sarawak” in its bid to expand representation.

He also questioned why there has been no concrete movement under the responsibility of the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, asking what issues were preventing endorsement after three parliamentary sittings.

“The electorates deserve explanation,” he said, stressing that the Election Commission (EC) would have already been notified following the Sarawak Legislative Assembly’s approval of the Bill in 2025.

“Just how much time does EC require to spring into action to get the redelineation and constitutional process completed, including the display, feedbacks and objection periods?” he asked.

He stressed that Sarawak’s push to increase constituencies was based on practical considerations, including its vast geography, logistical realities, and the need to improve governance and people-centric development delivery.

“Now that the process is stalled at Parliament level, Sarawak’s disappointment is valid. Just what has decapitated the whole process? Sarawak demands and deserves explanation,” he concluded. — DayakDaily