‘Redelineation process must be better and relevant, not just bigger'
KOTA SAMARAHAN (July 9): The coming redelineation exercise by the Election Commission (EC) must improve actual representation, said social activist Peter John Jaban.
In a statement yesterday, he said the redelineation exercise and allocation of seats among component coalition parties must carefully consider improving representation of Sarawakians and not compound issues from outdated political paradigms.
'Representation must reflect the challenges and aspirations currently faced by the people. The last such increase was conducted in 2014 when it was a very different political and social landscape—thankfully, we have a great deal more transparency in government a decade later.
'But if the people of Sarawak are expected to support 17 more elected representatives, paying both their wages and pensions, then this must work for the people. Not only must it support the long-term goal of our rights in the federal parliament under the Malaysia Agreement of 1963 (MA63) but it must also improve representation for the voters of Sarawak,' he said.
The State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Composition of Membership Bill 2025 was passed in the august house on Monday, increasing the total number to state seats to 99.
Peter John said there has been a massive rural to urban migration.
'Some estimates suggest that Sarawak is now up to 65 per cent urbanised, and the majority of those migrants have been Dayak. We are no longer living in a time when most Dayaks stayed in their traditional ancestral communities—there has been massive rural to urban migration; sometimes by choice, sometimes by necessity.
'The voter landscape of both our rural and urban areas is increasingly complex, and can no longer support the simplistic, race-based system of a decade ago. We need a redelineation that can take into account both the multi-ethnic makeup of our urban constituencies while still ensuring the specific needs of the rural population are addressed,' he said.
He said there were new issues affecting ordinary Sarawakians, such as the lack of infrastructure, urban deprivation and poverty, rural connectivity and livelihoods, loss of culture and community.
'These are the concerns that our new YBs (elected representatives) must address, and the redelineation must allow them to do so without political or racial bias.
'We are in a situation where the component parties of the ruling coalition also need better representation to provide a balancing voice in the DUN for the constituents,' he said.
'This cannot just come from a small handful of opposition representatives—one of whom (Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen) was ejected from yesterday's (Monday) sitting.
'Therefore, we hope the allocation of seats takes this into account and is not dominated by one single party. The people of Sarawak need choice among parties that understand their needs, and can provide checks and balances to each other for the good of the people,' he said.
Peter John said while Sarawak enjoys great racial and religious harmony and social unity, people must learn to live together and serve each other's needs as the profile of the state changes.
'This redelineation should not just be bigger, it must also be better. It must look to the challenges and issues the people are facing, and give the DUN the best chance of addressing these.
'The people must be represented in the DUN—that is the only purpose of the house. So, let us hope for the multi-ethnic, responsive and relevant DUN that we all deserve for the next decade.' election commission lead Peter John Jaban redelineation
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Daily Express
3 hours ago
- Daily Express
GRS achieved MA63 gains, not Warisan
Published on: Saturday, August 16, 2025 Published on: Sat, Aug 16, 2025 Text Size: Norazlinah and Mohammad Mohamarin. Kota Kinabalu: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) has made great strides in securing the rights of Sabahans under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), a state lawmaker said, adding that Warisan's efforts pale in comparison. Kunak Assemblywoman Datuk Norazlinah Arif said the ruling coalition carried out its task quietly and without resorting to political grandstanding. The Kunak Assemblywoman said although Warisan leveraged MA63 to consolidate public support during its time in office between 2018 and 2020, very little progress was achieved. 'At the time they claimed to have resolved 17 of the 21 MA63 demands,' she said. 'However, in 2023, then Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali clarified that those points had already been agreed upon previously at the policy level but were not implemented.' At that time, Armizan rejected Warisan's claim, asserting that no right could be deemed secured unless it had been fully implemented for the public's benefit. 'GRS very rarely uses MA63 to score political points, but it has overseen encouraging results, such as the increase in the interim payments (by Putrajaya to the state) to RM600 million,' the former Wanita Warisan chief said. In 2022, Putrajaya agreed to pay Sabah RM125.6 million by way of a special grant, up from an annual allocation of RM26.7 million previously. The following year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim authorised an interim payment to the state of RM300 million, before doubling the amount this year. 'I am confident that if GRS remains in government, many of our rights will be restored — just as regulatory control over Sabah's power supply was successfully returned to the State Government,' said Norazlinah. In March, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof said apart from these two issues, the Unity and State governments had resolved an additional nine key MA63-related claims. These include the recognition of the state's public works and irrigation and drainage departments as technical departments for the purposes of Treasury Instruction 182 (AP182). Also, the Inland Revenue Board Act 1995 has been amended to allow a Sabah representative to sit as a permanent board member. Special guidelines are also being drawn up to govern the resumption of land reserved for federal purposes in the state. On Sept 12, the Federal Government is scheduled to deliberate on Sabah's proposal to reclaim its 40 per cent net revenue entitlement. Meanwhile, Banggi Assemblyman Mohammad Mohamarin raised doubts about his former party Warisan's commitment to the resolution of MA63 issues. He recalled that there was very little meaningful discussion on the subject during his time in the party. 'Under GRS, the matter would be raised (at the coalition's pre-council meeting) every time a state assembly sitting approaches,' he said. Mohammad said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor would touch on efforts made to introduce or amend enactments linked to MA63 and how his government intended to go about securing these rights. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
India's Rahul Gandhi says he will challenge 'serious discrepancies' in electoral system
FILE PHOTO: Rahul Gandhi, a senior leader of India's main opposition Congress Party, speaks to the media during a press conference in New Delhi, India, February 7, 2025. REUTERS/Sahiba Chawdhary/File Photo NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday India's electoral system suffers from "serious discrepancies" and he pledged to continue challenging its integrity through public mobilisation and potentially the courts. Gandhi, the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty that controls the main opposition Congress party, last week accused authorities of manipulating voter rolls by adding fake names in the 2024 general election and other recent polls. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, which performed below expectations in the national vote and had to rely on allies to form a government, went on to win several state elections with relative ease. The BJP and the Election Commission have both denied the rigging charges, which are rare in the world's most populous democracy of 1.42 billion people. "There are serious discrepancies in the election system, and we will diligently keep exposing them,' Gandhi told a group of reporters citing research conducted by Congress party colleagues. However, he said he aimed to preserve public trust in democratic institutions. "We do not want to discredit the election process of India, so we are doing it slowly and deliberately," he said at his official bungalow in central Delhi, where portraits of his father and grandmother — both former prime ministers — hung from the walls. Gandhi said the party's strategy was focused on building public pressure. "We mainly want to challenge the Election Commission through the people but could eventually go to court." "If elections are rigged, no amount of cadre mobilisation will work. The game we are playing is rigged," Gandhi said, when asked by Reuters if the opposition alliance could oust Modi in the next national election in 2029. His comments come ahead of a closely contested state election in Bihar. 'The Bihar election is looking very close, but we are rising and they are declining,' he said. Bihar, one of India's most politically important states, goes to polls by November. It is ruled by an alliance of Modi's party but according to a recent survey by the VoteVibe agency, the opposition has an edge largely because of a lack of jobs. (Reporting by Krishna N. Das in New Delhi; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
Malaysia Sun
3 days ago
- Malaysia Sun
Congress defeated Ambedkar in 1952 election through electoral fraud: BJP
New Delhi [India], August 13 (ANI): Hitting back at Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for his claim of 'vote theft', the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday alleged that Congress defeated Bhimrao Ambedkar, regarded as the father of the Indian Constitution, in the 1952 general election through electoral fraud. 'If we start from 1952, Congress and CPI together defeated Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, a constitution maker and a saint-like leader, in the election. Congress laid the foundation of electoral corruption in the very first election of 1952,' BJP MP Anurag Thakur said at a press conference held in the party's headquarters here. 'Check the records: 74,333 votes were rejected, while Ambedkar ji lost by just 14,561 votes. Congress ensured that a constitution maker, a Dalit leader, was eliminated in the very first election. Imagine, the one who created the constitution was defeated by the Congress family through electoral fraud,' he added. The BJP MP alleged that Rahul Gandhi and his family had a history of questioning the Election Commission when they lost elections. 'This family and party have had a tradition from the beginning that if you lose an election, you raise questions about the Election Commission, the voters, or the functioning of the Election Commission. Indira Gandhi had said, Voters are a bunch of fools. When Rajiv Gandhi lost the election, he blamed the ballot paper. Rahul Gandhi's father used to say, conduct elections with voting machines, and Rahul Gandhi says, conduct elections with ballot papers,' he said. Anurag Thakur also criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for opposing a special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in her state. 'I want to ask Mamata Banerjee a question. In the Lok Sabha in 2005, she threw documents claiming that the voter list included illegal Bangladeshi migrants. Now, when we are trying to clean that mess, she is creating hurdles. Was she lying then or is she lying now?' he asked. He said that, seeing that it is losing the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, the Congress is already engaged in making false allegations in connivance with other Opposition parties. 'If there is a record of losing elections 90 times under someone's leadership, then it is under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi. Even within the party, questions are raised about Rahul Gandhi's leadership,' Thakur said in a press conference at the BJP headquarters. 'When he (Rahul Gandhi) loses elections, he raises questions about EVMs or blames the voters. Congress said, EVM is rigged for the BJP. Then they said, ban EVMs, bring back ballot papers. Then they said EVMs can be hacked remotely. After every defeat, Congress kept finding new excuses. Congress did not introspect but kept blaming EVMs, the Election Commission and constitutional institutions again and again. Seeing that it is losing the Bihar elections, Congress is already engaged in making false allegations in connivance with opposition parties,' he said. (ANI)
