Source: Sarawak to add 17 state seats with passing of Bill
KUCHING (July 6): The number of state constituencies in Sarawak is expected to increase from the present 82 to 99, with the expected passing of the Bill to increase the State Legislative Assembly's (DUN) membership in tomorrow's special sitting.
A source told The Borneo Post that the Dewan Undangan Negeri (Composition of Membership) Bill 2025 will involve adding 17 more elected members to the DUN.
However, the source declined to elaborate further, except to say the details will be known once the Bill is presented tomorrow.
Meanwhile, a report in news portal Free Malaysia Today (FMT) claimed that out of the 17 new seats to be created, five of them are Malay-majority areas and two are Melanau-majority areas.
Citing a source, FMT reported that the remaining 10 new seats comprise four Iban-majority areas, two Bidayuh-majority, two mixed areas (Iban and Chinese), one Chinese-majority, and one Orang Ulu-majority.
The portal also reported that according to its source, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) as the dominant party in the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition will be allocated 10 new seats, while the other three coalition partners—Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP), Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), and Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS)—will be allocated the remaining seven.
At a press conference on Saturday, DUN Speaker Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar said the sharp rise in voter numbers, combined with the vast size of Sarawak's constituencies and challenging terrain, has prompted the Sarawak government to propose increasing the number of elected members in the DUN.
He also said the Bill, the only one to be tabled at the one-day special sitting, will be tabled by Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
According to Mohamad Asfia, the last review of seat composition was more than eight years ago, in line with Article 113(2)(ii) of the Federal Constitution, which allows for such reviews after a minimum interval of eight years.
It was also reported that once the Bill is approved by the DUN, it would be brought to Parliament for federal approval.
Once both legislative bodies have endorsed the Bill, the Election Commission (EC) will be tasked with conducting a redelineation exercise.
The last increase was in 2014 when the number of seats rose from 71 to 82.
Previous increases were in 1995 from 56 seats to 62, and in 2005 from 62 seats to 71.
In November 2014, the DUN approved a Bill to increase the total number of state assemblypersons from the current 71 to 82.
The Bill at that time was tabled by then housing minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, and approved by Parliament the following month.
This was followed by the EC announcing the proposed 11 additional seats in January 2015. new seats Sarawak State Legislative Assembly special sitting
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