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Free Malaysia Today
23-07-2025
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Karim Hamzah's mother dies
Arniah Mat will be buried at the Islamic Cemetery in Semariang, Petra Jaya. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : The mother of Sarawak tourism, creative industry and performing arts minister Abdul Karim Hamzah passed away yesterday at the age of 87. Arniah Mat passed away at 3.30pm, the Dayak Daily reported. She will be buried at the Islamic Cemetery in Semariang, Petra Jaya, today.
Free Malaysia Today
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Population size not sole reason for larger Sarawak assembly, says Fadillah
PBB vice-president Fadillah Yusof, who is MP for Petra Jaya, speaking at a constituency event today. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : Sarawak's decision to increase the size of the state assembly was not solely based on the size of the population, says PBB vice-president Fadillah Yusof. Responding to criticism of the decision to add 17 more seats, Fadillah said the legislative assembly also took into account the state's ethnic makeup and administrative needs. 'Some say this criterion should be based on population size. However, we have to look not only at the size of the population, but the size of the area as well as (to ensure fairer) representation of ethnic groups,' Bernama quoted him as saying. He said Sarawak is almost as large as Peninsular Malaysia in land area. (Sarawak covers 124,450 sq km, while the peninsula covers 132,490 sq km.) Fadillah said the addition of state assembly seats meant there will be more elected representatives for rural areas, which would allow for the voices of the local community to be heard when it came to formulating policies. 'I support this move because it will provide more effective administration for us to develop Sarawak,' he told reporters after attending an event at his parliamentary constituency of Petra Jaya. Last week, the Sarawak assembly passed a bill to increase the number of seats in the assembly from 82 to 99. State minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, who tabled the bill, said the increase was warranted to accommodate population growth, urban sprawl and vast rural areas. However, the decision came under fire from Thomas Fann, chairman of electoral reform group Engage, who said there was no justification for adding more seats. He said Sarawak was already among the most over-represented of all state assemblies. He said electoral imbalances would be worsened and public resources placed under strain. A former deputy chairman of the Election Commission, Wan Ahmad Wan Omar, said Sarawak's decision appeared to be politically motivated.
Free Malaysia Today
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
It's gerrymandering, S'wak DAP rep says of 17 new state seats
Pending assemblyman Violet Yong said there is no need for the additional seats when major pain points such as poor infrastructure and utilities in Sarawak remain unaddressed. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : A Sarawak DAP assemblyman has slammed the state government's proposal to add 17 new seats to the legislative assembly, calling it unfair, costly, and meant to shore up support for the ruling state coalition. Violet Yong (DAP-Pending) said the move to increase the number of seats in the state assembly from 82 to 99 was 'untimely, unfair, unnecessary and politically motivated'. 'The Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) state government is only adding new seats where it can win, not where they're actually needed based on the number of voters. 'This is gerrymandering dressed up as reform,' she told the state assembly in a special sitting today. Yong also said the increase in state seats was being done without public consultation and would only worsen the unequal value of votes between ballots cast in rural and urban constituencies. 'In my own constituency, Pending, there are nearly 30,000 voters based on 2021 figures. Gedong, a rural seat, has fewer than 10,000. Yet both elect one assemblyman. This means a vote in Gedong carries almost three times more weight than a vote in Pending. 'If GPS is going to propose two new state seats within the federal constituency of Petra Jaya, why not also add two more seats in (the federal constituencies of) Bandar Kuching or Stampin?' she asked. Both the Bandar Kuching and Stampin parliamentary seats are held by DAP. Yong's constituency of Pending falls within Bandar Kuching. Yong also said that adding the new seats would be costly, and came at a time when many Sarawakians were struggling with the rising cost of living and inadequate basic facilities. 'The GPS government has chosen to prioritise adding more politicians instead of addressing the people's real needs,' she said. Chong Chieng Jen (DAP-Padungan) also opposed the proposed increase in state assembly seats, saying Sarawak's large land area alone does not justify adding more representatives. He said Sarawak's ratio of voters to elected representatives was already low and manageable compared to other large regions, such as in Australia. 'In Victoria, one assemblyman serves 79,000 voters. In New South Wales, it's about 90,000. In contrast, here in Sarawak, one assemblyman serves only about 34,000 voters and covers 1,517 sq km,' Chong said. He said even given Sarawak's vast land area of 124,450 sq km, the current 82-seat composition still meant a lighter workload per representative than in many Australian states. 'With the proposed increase, the ratio would fall further, to one assemblyman for every 25,454 people and 1,257 sq km,' he said. Speaker Asfia Awang Nassar then interjected, reminding Chong that 'Sarawak is in Malaysia, not Australia'. Chong responded that he was merely providing a comparative example. He added that Sarawak would be better served by pushing for more parliamentary seats instead. He said that despite being the largest state in Malaysia, Sarawak's representation in Parliament remained relatively small at only 31 out of 222 MPS. 'It would be more strategic for us to capitalise on our kingmaker's role at the federal level by increasing our parliamentary seats,' he said. Before Chong began his debate, Asfia warned him not to challenge the legal basis for the seat increase. He added that the redrawing of electoral boundaries was under the jurisdiction of the Election Commission (EC), not the Sarawak government. 'It is the EC that conducts, from time to time, the delineation of boundaries – not the GPS government, and not this assembly. That is my ruling,' Asfia said.
Malay Mail
21-06-2025
- Automotive
- Malay Mail
Back-to-back vehicle fires destroy two vehicles in Betong, damage one in Kuching, no injuries reported
KUCHING, June 21 — A van and a sedan were completely destroyed in Betong, while a hatchback was partially damaged in a separate incident in Bandar Baru Samariang here, yesterday morning. According to the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), the first distress call was received at 10.59am regarding the fire along Jalan Bebuling in Betong. The second incident, which occurred in a residential area in Bandar Baru Samariang, Kuching, was reported about 50 minutes later. Petra Jaya firefighters extinguish the fire from on hatchback in Bandar Baru Semariang. — Picture courtesy of Fire and Rescue Department 'In Betong, the fire involved a van and a sedan that were 100 per cent destroyed, and a motorcycle parked nearby was 10 per cent damaged. 'In Kuching at Bandar Baru Samariang, the hatchback was about 60 per cent destroyed,' Bomba said. Firefighters responded swiftly to both scenes and managed to extinguish the flames. No casualties were reported in either incident. — The Borneo Post
Malay Mail
31-05-2025
- General
- Malay Mail
Celebrate Gawai with gratitude and harmony, says DPM Fadillah in call for racial unity
KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 — The spirit of unity in Malaysia's multiracial society should be upheld as a symbol of strength to further reinforce national harmony, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof. In a Facebook post in conjunction with the Gawai celebration, Fadillah said Malaysians are fortunate to be able to celebrate cultural and religious festivities in a peaceful and harmonious environment. Fadillah, who is also the Member of Parliament for Petra Jaya, noted that Sarawak, home to the country's most ethnically diverse population, stands as a prime example of racial harmony. 'Let us always appreciate and be grateful for the peace and unity we have long enjoyed. Celebrate Gawai with joy, through traditional customs and the spirit of visiting one another,' he said. He added that Gawai Dayak, as a symbol of unity and Dayak identity, reflects the richness of Malaysia's cultural diversity — where people of various races, religions, and backgrounds live together in peace. Gawai is celebrated in Sarawak on June 1 and 2 as an expression of gratitude following the end of the harvest season. — Bernama
