PRS to DAP: Purely voter-number delineation risks marginalising rural Sarawak

Andy Lawrence

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, April 23: Representation in Sarawak constituencies that is adjusted purely based on voter numbers would further marginalise rural communities, and such an approach is not fairness but imbalance, said Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Bukit Goram Division chairman Andy Lawrence.

Taking note of remarks by Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen on the principle of “one person, one vote” in constituency delineation, Andy said PRS agrees that fairness is important, but stressed that in Sarawak, fairness cannot be measured by numbers alone.

Chong had previously said that some urban constituencies have about 70,000 voters compared to around 11,000 in certain rural seats, arguing that such disparity means a rural vote carries significantly more weight than an urban vote, which he said undermines the democratic process.

“Kuching Division already holds the highest number of State seats with more than 10 seats despite being the smallest and most developed region in Sarawak.

“In contrast, while divisions such as Kapit (seven seats) and Limbang (four seats) cover vast areas, face challenging geography, and remain less developed. This undermines democratic process,” Andy said in a statement today.

He questioned what further adjustments Chong and DAP were seeking, warning that if representation is recalibrated strictly based on voter numbers, rural Sarawak would be further disadvantaged.

“If representation is adjusted purely based on numbers, rural Sarawak will be further marginalised. This is not fairness; this is imbalance in another form,” he said.

He stressed that constituency delineation in Sarawak must take into account geography, accessibility, and development gaps, not solely voter population, arguing that otherwise the voices of those in remote and hard-to-reach areas would be diluted.

“Is Chong and DAP now abandoning rural communities?,” he questioned, describing it as a serious question that needed to be addressed.

Andy reaffirmed PRS Bukit Goram’s position that delineation must remain balanced with fairness not only in numerical terms, but also in practical reality. — DayakDaily