‘Backbencher’ ambil peranan semak dan imbang jika tiada pembangkang, kata Abdul Karim

Sarawak United People's Party (GPS) backbenchers will ensure the Sarawak government remains accountable if they secure all 82 seats in the upcoming general election, according to Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah. Karim emphasized that the backbenchers will act as watchdogs like opposition members should GPS win the majority of seats, as reported by Dayak Daily.

GPS currently holds 80 out of the 82 seats in the Sarawak State Assembly, with the remaining two seats under the coalition's partner, the Democratic Action Party (DAP). The single opposition party, Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRN) Sarawak, is expected to be dissolved this December.

Karim, who also serves as the spokesperson for the main GPS party, Pakatan Puhak Bumiputera (PBB), informed FMT last year that the Sarawak state government under GPS has sufficient mechanisms for accountability, including an ombudsman and other systems, despite concerns about the lack of strong opposition figures. Sarawak became the first state to establish an ombudsman unit through legislation in November 2023, following the passage of the Sarawak Ombudsman Act in the State Legislative Assembly.

However, in 2025, DAP Sarawak Deputy President Chong Chieng Jen alleged that the state government deliberately obstructed the submission of reports from the ombudsman unit.