Sarawak’s proposed 17 new seats unlikely to be used in next state poll

The Election Commission (EC) has received 18 objections regarding the proposed electoral boundaries for the 7th Sarawak Constituency Delimitation Review, according to chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun. Most of the objections concern changes to polling districts between state constituencies. The total number of representations received so far is currently 18, submitted online from various parts of Sarawak.

In addition to objections related to polling district changes, there have also been concerns about the proposed names of state constituencies. Ramlan visited the display area for the delimitation review at Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) and spoke to EC Sarawak director Abang Noraffian Abang Ibrahim and DBKU director Ramzi Abdillah.

The public has until September 30 to submit their views, either in the form of objections, support, or otherwise. When determining the boundaries, the EC considers several principles, including the number of voters, geographical conditions, and locality. However, each principle is applied uniquely to different state constituencies and areas, as they are based on specific criteria that take into account the uniqueness of each region.

So far, none of the 18 objections have required a major review of the proposed boundaries, as they primarily involve the transfer of polling districts from one state constituency to another. Some proposed constituencies may have fewer than 10,000 voters due to the small area size, even though the number of voters is not the sole factor in determining a constituency.

Other factors, such as ensuring representation for particular groups in the State Legislative Assembly, can also contribute to the creation of smaller constituencies.