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The Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Stark rise in eligible urban voters to impact Sarawak election
KUCHING: The upcoming Sarawak state election is set to see a two-fold increase in the number eligible voters at major urban constituencies in the southern, central and northern regions of the state. According to data compiled by Civil Society - Rise of Social Efforts Sarawak (ROSE), key areas that are affected by the soaring voter numbers are state capital Kuching, oil and gas centre Miri, and the two major towns of Sibu and Bintulu. The NGO's president Geoffrey Tang said the Election Commission (EC) must give top priority to redelineating these urban constituencies so that the voters are better represented. 'Sarawak has constituencies such as Senadin state seat in Miri where the number of voters has reached the 73,430 mark. 'There are at least 21 similar state constituencies with very high increases in voter populations exceeding 23,000 each,' he said. Other affected state constituencies are Pantai Damai, Tupong, Samariang, Pending, Batu Lintang, Kota Sentosa, Batu Kitang, Batu Kawah, Mambong, Muara Tuang (all in southern Sarawak); Stakan, Tarat, Repok, Bukit Assek, Dudong, Pelawan, Nangka (central Sarawak); and Tanjung Batu, Pujut, Senadin, Piasau and Lambir (northern Sarawak). Tang said the redelineation must reflect the need to give these extremely high voter population seats better representation. 'The EC must carry out redelineation in Sarawak based on these datas so the exercise will be transparent, fair and reflect the ground realities that voters in these key constituencies need better representation in the State Legislative Assembly so that their needs can be better taken care of,' he said in a statement recently. On July 7, a new Bill was tabled and subsequently passed to increase the number of state constituencies in Sarawak from 82 to 99. The Dewan Undangan Negeri (Composition of Membership) Bill 2025 was tabled by Sarawak Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah who is state assemblyman for Asajaya. Speaking at the assembly, special one-day sitting, he said the increase in seats is necessary. 'In view of the increasing number of voters and the geographical complex setup of Sarawak, we need to have more elected representatives to serve the rakyat.' Abdul Karim had noted to the house that the minimum voting age has been reduced to 18 years from 21. 'Sarawak will thus see a big surge in voters not just in urban areas but also in rural areas. 'This vast state has large rural constituencies that must have better representation,' he said when tabling the Bill for first reading. The move by Sarawak to increase the number of state constituencies is in line with Article 113 (2) of the Federal Constitution which allows a review of electoral boundaries in the state after eight years. The last redelineation exercise in Sarawak was in 2015, Abdul Karim noted. The EC will be the authority to decide on the new electoral boundaries. The next state polls are due by June next year.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Sarawak urban seats see voter surge, ROSE calls for redelineation
MIRI: The number of eligible voters in the upcoming Sarawak state elections has doubled in major urban constituencies across southern, central, and northern Sarawak. Civil society group Rise of Social Efforts Sarawak (ROSE) has compiled the latest data showing a significant increase in the voting population in the state capital of Kuching, the oil and gas hub of Miri, and the two major townships of Sibu and Bintulu. ROSE president Geoffrey Tang said the Election Commission (EC) must prioritise the redelineation of these urban constituencies to ensure voters are better represented. 'Sarawak has constituencies such as the Senadin state seat in Miri where the number of voters has reached 73,430. 'There are at least 21 similar state constituencies with very high voter numbers, each exceeding 23,000,' he said in a press statement, yesterday. According to ROSE, state constituencies that have experienced a surge in voter numbers include: Southern Sarawak: Pantai Damai, Tupong, Samariang, Pending, Batu Lintang, Kota Sentosa, Batu Kitang, Batu Kawah, Mambong, Muara Tuang Central Sarawak: Stakan, Tarat, Repok, Bukit Assek, Dudong, Pelawan, Nangka Northern Sarawak: Tanjung Batu, Pujut, Senadin, Piasau, Lambir Tang said the redelineation of electoral boundaries must reflect the urgent need to provide better representation for these high-population areas. 'The EC must carry out a redelineation exercise in Sarawak based on this data so that the process is transparent, fair and reflects the ground realities. Voters in these key constituencies deserve adequate representation in the state legislative assembly to ensure their needs are met,' he said. On July 7, a new Bill was tabled and passed to increase the number of state constituencies in Sarawak from 82 to 99. The Dewan Undangan Negeri (Composition of Membership) Bill 2025 was tabled by Sarawak Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, who is also the state assemblyman for Asajaya. Speaking at the special one-day sitting of the state legislative assembly, he said the increase in seats was necessary. 'In view of the growing number of voters and Sarawak's complex geographical makeup, we need more elected representatives to serve the rakyat. 'The minimum voting age has been lowered from 21 to 18. 'Sarawak is expected to see a major increase in voters not just in urban areas, but also in rural constituencies. 'This vast state has many large rural seats that deserve better representation,' he said when tabling the Bill. Karim added that the move to increase the number of constituencies is in line with the Federal Constitution. 'Article 113(2) of the Federal Constitution allows for a review of electoral boundaries after eight years. 'The last redelineation exercise in Sarawak was carried out in 2015, so the timing for a review is appropriate,' he said. Karim said the Election Commission will be responsible for determining the new electoral boundaries following the passing of the Bill. The creation of new constituencies and boundary adjustments is expected to be completed in time for the Sarawak state election, which is due in June next year.
Borneo Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- Borneo Post
ROSE urges EC to prioritise urban areas in Sarawak redelineation exercise
KUCHING (July 12): Civil action group Rise of Social Efforts (ROSE) has called on the Election Commission (EC) to prioritise urban and rapidly growing constituencies in Sarawak during its upcoming redelineation exercise, following the recent passage of the Bill to increase the number of state seats. In a statement, ROSE president Geoffrey Tang said the expansion of the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN) from 82 to 99 seats must be accompanied by urgent action to uphold the democratic principle of One Person, One Vote, One Value. He stressed that the EC is constitutionally mandated to follow the principles set out in Section 2, Part 1 of the 13th Schedule of the Federal Constitution, which requires that the number of electors in each constituency be approximately equal, with limited exceptions for rural areas that face geographical disadvantages. 'The creation of 17 new seats reduces the average number of voters per constituency to 20,381. However, ROSE notes that at least 21 urban and rapidly growing constituencies far exceed this average, including Pantai Damai, Tupong, Samariang, Pending, Batu Lintang, Kota Sentosa, Batu Kitang, Batu Kawah, Mambong, Muara Tuang, Stakan, Tarat, Repok, Bukit Assek, Dudong, Pelawan, Nangka, Tanjong Batu, Pujut, Senadin, and Lambir. 'All voters in these DUN seats exceed 23,000, with Senadin topping the list at 73,430 voters. If delineation is to be carried out, these urban seats must be given priority,' he said. Tang urged the EC to begin a transparent, data-driven redelineation process to correct the current imbalance and ensure fairer voter representation. He also warned that the seat expansion could worsen the existing urban–rural voter disparity if boundaries are not redrawn accordingly. 'Many constituencies in Greater Kuching, Sibu, and Miri now contain more than double the average number of voters, further weakening the political voice of urban populations, particularly young Dayak and Malay voters in fast-growing areas.' He added that the primary role of an elected representative is to craft and debate sound policies in the Dewan for the benefit of the people, and that merely increasing the number of seats without addressing long-standing imbalances in representation risks entrenching unfairness and eroding public trust in democratic institutions. As such, he said ROSE will educate the public on the delineation process, including how to become an objector, how to read proposed maps, and how to mobilize communities to organise in groups of at least 100 voters in any affected constituency. 'This is to monitor the redelineation process to ensure it aligns with democratic and constitutional standards,' he said. election commission redelineation Rise of Social Efforts
The Star
08-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
S'wak State Assembly: 17 new state seats would add RM140mil to annual spending, says NGO
KUCHING: A Sarawak-based NGO has raised concerns about the financial and electoral implications of increasing the state legislative assembly's membership from 82 to a record 99. Persatuan Pemangkin Daya Masyarakat (ROSE) said the addition of 17 new members would involve an increase of nearly 21% in the state's annual expenditure on salaries for assemblymen and constituency development funds. It estimated that the additional expenditure would come up to RM140mil a year. ALSO READ: Having more seats favours GPS "We question the prudence of this allocation, especially when administrative and developmental responsibilities largely fall on the 12 Resident's Offices and 26 local authorities across the state. "We call for serious consideration to redirect or allocate a portion of these funds to these local government institutions on the frontlines of public service delivery so that they are better resourced for more effective delivery," ROSE said in a statement on Tuesday (July 8). On Monday (July 7), the Sarawak Legislative Assembly passed the Dewan Undangan Negeri (Composition of Membership) Bill 2025 to increase its membership to 99 elected representatives. State Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, when tabling the Bill, said the increase was timely and necessary to reflect Sarawak's demographic changes, development and growing demand for more equitable representation. ROSE said Sarawak currently had 2,017,772 registered voters, meaning that the average number of voters per state constituency would drop to 20,381 with the increase in seats. ALSO READ: Sarawak passes bill to increase assembly seats "This raises questions about whether such a move is truly representative or equitable," it said. The NGO called for a comprehensive review of electoral boundaries and processes to ensure that representation was based on clear demographic, geographic and administrative justifications. It also reiterated the need to extend the duration of state assembly sittings from the current 16 days per year to ensure sufficient time for robust debate, legislative scrutiny and policy oversight. "This is especially concerning for a state that manages a GDP of RM150bil and an annual state budget of RM15bil. "Sarawakians deserve a more active, transparent and accountable legislature that serves as true checks and balances on executive power," ROSE said.
Borneo Post
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
ROSE claims additional DUN members to require extra RM140 mln funds, calls for redirection of allocations to local authorities
ROSE also called for the duration of DUN sittings to be extended urgently. KUCHING (July 8): The passing of the Dewan Undangan Negeri (Composition of Membership) Bill, 2025 yesterday, which will see 17 new members in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN), will have a direct financial implication on the state's annual expenditures, said Geoffrey Tang. The president of civil action group Rise of Social Efforts (ROSE) said the 20.7 per cent increase in DUN members would likely see emoluments for assemblypersons and constituency development funds (CDFs) rise by nearly 21 per cent to around an extra RM140 million each year. ROSE questioned the prudence of this allocation, especially when administrative and developmental responsibilities largely fall on the 12 Residents' offices and 26 local authorities across the state, he said. 'We call for serious consideration to redirect or allocate a portion of these funds to these local government institutions that are on the frontlines of public service delivery so that they are better resourced for more effective delivery,' Tang said in a statement. He also called for the duration of DUN sittings to be extended urgently. 'With only two sittings of eight days each totalling only 16 days per year, there is insufficient time for robust debate, legislative scrutiny, and policy oversight,' he argued. 'This is especially concerning for a state that manages a GDP (gross domestic product) of RM150 billion and an annual state budget of RM15 billion.' Tang said Sarawakians deserve a more active, transparent, and accountable legislature that gives true checks and balances on executive power. He pointed out that with a registered voter base of 2,017,772, Sarawak now accounts for 9.2 per cent of Malaysia's total voters. 'Yet, with the increased number of seats, the average number of voters per DUN constituency drops to just 20,381, raising questions about whether such a move is truly representative or equitable. 'ROSE calls for a comprehensive review of electoral boundaries and processes to ensure that representation is based on clear demographic, geographic, and administrative justifications, not merely political convenience,' he said. He also called on the public to engage critically and demand greater transparency in how such decisions are made, stressing that electoral and democratic reforms must not be reduced to mere numbers but must reflect the people's voice, needs, and aspirations. It is understood that the Bill will now 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 DUN seats rose from 71 to 82. Previous increases were in 1995, from 56 seats to 62, and 2005, from 62 seats to 71. DUN Sarawak Geoffrey Tang lead ROSE
