Wide disparity in voter numbers under S’wak redelineation, says DAP

Sarawak DAP has raised concerns over the disparity in voter numbers within proposed constituency boundaries for the upcoming state assembly election. State DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen claimed that according to their analysis, Iban voters, who comprise 28.8% of Sarawak's electorate, would only represent 22.2% of the proposed 99 seats.

The DAP chief argued that each constituency should have an average of approximately 20,582 voters. However, their analysis revealed that 49 out of the 99 proposed seats fall outside of this ideal range. Specifically, 24 constituencies would have fewer than 15,000 voters, while 25 would have more than 26,000 voters.

Chong highlighted the stark contrast between rural and urban constituencies, using examples such as Pelagus, with only 10,372 voters, and Piasau, which has 34,546 voters. The larger constituency contains over three times as many voters as the smaller one. Chong emphasized that these significant discrepancies cast doubt on the principle of equal representation and whether voters in different constituencies would have equal electoral weight.

As part of the public objection process, the Election Commission (EC) has been displaying notices in each parliamentary constituency in Sarawak, outlining the 17 new state seats and the proposed new names for several existing ones. The public can submit objections or representations concerning the proposed constituencies until September 30.