Latest news with #CompositionofMembershipBill2025
Borneo Post
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Social activist: Redelineation process must be better and relevant, not just bigger
Peter John Jaban 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coalition parties must carefully consider improving representation of Sarawakians and not compound issues from outdated political paradigms.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
Borneo Post
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
‘Redelineation process must be better and relevant, not just bigger'
Peter John Jaban 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
Borneo Post
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Proposal to increase of elected reps in Sarawak timely, says academician
Dr Jayum Jawan KUCHING (July 8): The increase in the number of elected people's representatives in Sarawak is timely based on the need to review representation in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN), says an academician. This is usually facilitated by the need to study constituency size and population increase, says Datuk Prof Dr Jayum Jawan, a fellow of Academy of Sciences Malaysia cum adjunct professor of the Institute of Borneo Studies of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas). 'Sarawak has been grossly misrepresented. We have a rural constituency that is as huge as the state of Pahang and yet, it is represented by a single member Parliament. 'Suggestions from Tamin assemblyman Christopher Gira Sambang might be a little too late. 'He was reported to have suggested that at least eight state seats and one parliamentary seat should come from the Tamin-Selanggau area. 'This could be political rhetoric because if he really felt so, he should have moved the suggestion through his party, PRS (Parti Rakyat Sarawak), and have that brought to the attention of the GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak, the state's ruling coalition),' he said in a statement yesterday. Jayum also acknowledged the questioning by members of the Opposition over the motive of increasing the number of DUN Sarawak seats by 15. 'The drawing of the constituencies is claimed (by the Opposition) to be 'unfair', 'unnecessary' and 'politically motivated'. 'The vote disparities between constituencies in Sarawak were compared to those in Australia in arguing this point. 'But that same argument is weak because certain constituencies in Rajang River Basin are huge and yet, each has only one representative. 'Some urban areas such as Kuching and Sibu have several seats, both state and Parliament.' On Monday, DUN Sarawak passed the Composition of Membership Bill 2025 on a special one-day sitting to approve the size increase of the DUN by 17 seats, from the present 82 to 99. The last redelineation exercise in Sarawak was held by the Election Commission (EC) in 2015, after the DUN approved the size increase by 11 seats to 82 in 2014.
New Straits Times
08-07-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Re-delineation must reflect diverse Sarawak communities
KUCHING: Civil rights activist Peter John Jaban has expressed hope that the re-delineation of electoral boundaries, which will create 17 additional state seats, will fairly reflect the aspirations of the various communities. He said the exercise should consider the multi-ethnic makeup of densely populated urban constituencies, as well as the specific needs of rural populations that must be addressed. "For example, we are seeing new issues affecting the ordinary people, such as urban deprivation and poverty, lack of infrastructures in the rural areas and rural connectivity and livelihoods that need to be considered," he said in response to the passing of the Composition of Membership Bill 2025 by the State Legislative Assembly yesterday. He added that these are the concerns the new state assemblymen need to address, and the re-delineation must allow them to do so without political or racial bias. Jaban also appealed to Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) leadership to fairly allocate the 17 seats among the four component parties. "Therefore, I hope that the allocation of seats is not dominated by one single party," he said. The Sarawak State Legislative Assembly yesterday passed the Bill to increase its membership from 82 to 99. Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, in tabling the Bill, said the increase was part of efforts to ensure fairer and broader representation for the people of the state. He added the tabling of the Bill came in response to demographic changes, urban expansion, and a rising number of voters, including young voters aged 18 and above, which necessitated a restructuring of representation.
New Straits Times
07-07-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Sarawak assembly passes bill to increase membership to 99 as DAP rep is ejected
KUCHING: The Sarawak state assembly has passed a bill to increase its membership to 99 from the present 82. The house also ejected DAP Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen from the assembly for obstructing government backbencher, Lo Khere Chiang (Batu Kitang), from debating the bill. Chong, who is the Sarawak DAP chairman, refused to sit down and stop interrupting Lo. This left Speaker Tan Sri Awang Asfia Awang Nassar with no choice but to call the sergeant-at-arms to escort Chong out. Following partisan lines, lawmakers from the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition voted for the increase while the two opposition assemblymen, Chong and Violet Yong (Pending), voted against. The Bill only needed a simple majority to pass. The four-party coalition of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), the lynchpin of the coalition, Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) and the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), holds 80 of the 82 seats in the legislature. Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Hamzah, in tabling the Composition of Membership Bill 2025, said Sarawak's vast geographical expanse and the extensive area state representatives representing rural constituencies must cover were key reasons that necessitated the need to redraw the state's electoral boundaries. He said the state, over the years, had witnessed significant demographic changes, urban expansion, and increasing demand for fair representation. The increase, Karim said, will ensure the needs and concerns of the rakyat are more efficiently and effectively addressed. "This proposed increase in the number of elected representatives is bold, reasonable, necessary and will enhance accessibility to the government," he said in today's special one-day sitting of the assembly to pass the bill. Karim said he hoped the re-delineation exercise would be completed soon for the 17 seats to be contested in the coming state election, which is expected sometime next year, before the state government's mandate expires at year-end. Sarawak is exercising its legal rights to increase the seats under Article 14 (1)( 3) of the State Constitution. Karim said the proposed increase was also in line with Article 113 (II) of the Federal Constitution, which allows for a review of electoral boundaries after an interval of not less than eight years. The last re-delineation exercise in Sarawak was carried out in 2015. Karim said the assembly, as the legislative authority, "must remain dynamic and responsive to the evolving needs of our people ... to ensure that it continues to reflect the voices and aspirations of all Sarawakans." He said there has been a significant increase in the state's population and number of voters since the last re-delineation exercise, especially with the voting age reduced from 21 to 18. When the first direct election to the assembly, which was then known as the Council Negri, was held in 1969, the house had 48 elected members. In 1985, the number rose to 56 and then 62 in 1995. In 2005, the seats were increased by nine from 62 to 71.
