Seat Boundaries Set By Ec Not State Govt Says Minister

---

 State minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah says the Election Commission alone decides on how new seats are drawn, amid claims of gerrymandering by the opposition.
Sarawak minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the number of seats is the prerogative of the Election Commission.PETALING JAYA: The Sarawak government has no authority over how new state seats are delineated or where they are located, a state minister said today, in dismissing opposition claims of gerrymandering in the motion to increase the number of seats from 82 to 99
State tourism, creative industry and performing arts minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the Election Commission, and not the Gabungan Parti Sarawak-led state government, is solely responsible for determining how seats are mapped and adjusted.
“GPS or this House (state assembly) or the government of the day has no say whatsoever on where the delineation of the new 17 seats is, as it is entirely the prerogative of the EC,” he told the state assembly.
A bill to raise the number of state seats from 82 to 99 was passed after a special one-day sitting today.
During the debate, Violet Yong (DAP-Pending) called the move politically motivated, and said it was a form of gerrymandering as new seats would be carved out from GPS’s strongholds.
Chong Chieng Jen (DAP-Padungan) also opposed the increase in state seats, saying Sarawak’s large land area alone did not justify adding more representatives.
Karim said the EC was an impartial commission set up to carry out elections fairly and without bias.
He said accusing the state government of drawing the seat lines was “uncalled for, slanderous and demeaning to the sincere efforts of the EC”.
He also said the state assembly must remain dynamic and responsive to the state’s changing population, to ensure it continued to reflect the voices of all Sarawakians.
He cited the decision by Wales to raise the number of its seats from 60 to 96 in 2024. In comparison, he said, Sarawak’s 20% increase was modest, especially since both regions have similar population sizes.
Sarawak’s deputy education, innovation and talent development minister Dr Annuar Rapaee later denied claims that electoral boundaries were to blame for DAP’s weak showing in past state elections.
Annuar, who is also the Nangka assemblyman, said DAP’s drop in seat numbers was because of public sentiment, not gerrymandering.
“In 2017, they won seven seats. In 2022, just two. And there was no redelineation between those two elections,” he said.
This showed that DAP’s claims of unfair constituency design did not hold up and that voters were shifting away from the party instead.
“This is clear proof that it is not about gerrymandering, but performance. The rakyat is moving away from DAP, or maybe GPS is becoming more attractive to them,” he said. -FMT

---