Set a fixed 8-year period for election seat reviews, says MP

He said the current constitutional provisions do not specify a timeframe for such reviews.

“This provision should be clearly written into the constitution so that there will be no confusion in future about how much time must pass before a boundary review can be carried out,” the Borneo Post quoted him as saying today.

Tangau’s remarks follow a recent question in the Dewan Rakyat on when the government plans to increase the number of parliamentary and state assembly seats across the country, and whether Sabah and Sarawak would be given priority.

Law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said said electoral boundaries can only be reviewed after eight years, or if there is an amendment affecting the number of members of the Dewan Rakyat or a state assembly.

For Sarawak, the eight-year period ended on Aug 21, 2023 but in July last year, the Sarawak state assembly approved an increase of 17 new state seats. The Election Commission is now finalising its recommendations before moving to the next steps required under the constitution, Azalina said.

For Sabah, the eight-year period ended on Feb 21, 2025, but the EC has yet to decide whether to begin the review as the state recently concluded an election.

For states in Peninsular Malaysia, the eight-year period since the last boundary review will end on March 9.