EC must ensure integrity in Sarawak constituency delineation

 

We, the undersigned, call upon Election Commission chairperson Ramlan Harun to ensure integrity for the upcoming Sarawak delineation.

This follows the emergence of a deck of 98 slides, which appear to be a blueprint for the state’s new electoral map representing the interests of the state’s ruling coalition, Gabungan Parti

Sarawak (GPS), especially its anchor party, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB).

The deck provides a detailed plan on how the 17 additional seats should be located, sized, ethnically composed, allocated to which GPS party and named:

• Added to only 14 out of Sarawak’s 31 parliamentary constituencies, including one of the smallest, P206 Tanjong Manis;

• Denied to one of the state’s largest constituencies, P195 Bandar Kuching (109,607 voters in May 2025), while its neighbour with almost the same electorate size, P194 Petra Jaya (114,750), would be given two additional seats;

  

• Vastly different electorate sizes, from 28,949 voters in Seledah (P196 Stampin) to only 10,830 in Oya (P213 Mukah), a coastal township;

• Consisting of various ethnic majorities: Malay/Melanau/Kedayan (7), Chinese (3), Iban (4), Bidayuh (2) and Orang Ulu (1);

• To be allocated for various GPS parties: PBB-Bumiputera (7), PBB-Pesaka (3), SUPP (3), PRS (3) and PDP (1); and

• To be named: Jagoi (in P192), Sejinjang (P193), Serapi, Semarak (P194), Seledah (P196), Sg Serin (P198), Susur Jambu (P206), Tanahmas (P211), Sg Merah, Bukit Kemuyang (P212), Oya (P213), Bukit Arip (P214), Melekun (P215), Tukau (P218), Permaisuri, Tudan (P219) and Usun Apau (P220)

This delineation plan is very similar to what was revealed by Free Malaysia Today on July 6, 2025, a day before the increase of 17 seats (from 82 to 99) was passed in the Sarawak State Assembly.

The only difference is that PRS and PDP were to get two new seats each in the July plan.

An Instagram post by the account of Galong Luang (Former resident of Kapit division back in 2024) on Sept 21, 2024, showed that officers from the Sarawak EC Office met with Federal Deputy Digital Minister Wilson Ugak Kumbong (Hulu Rajang MP) and former Sarawak EC director Datu Takun @ Takon bin Sunggah, who worked as a special administrative officer in the Sarawak Premier Office.

Deputy Digital Minister Wilson Ugak Kumbong

One photo showed them working on papers with constituency maps similar to the ones shown in the deck.

In the post, Galong thanked “Sarawak EC officers who helped us a lot in realising the business of creating new constituencies in the Kapit Division”.

This implied that similar meetings may have happened throughout the states.

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EC’s independence vital

Linking the dots, can the Sarawak public retain any confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the Sarawak EC Office?

Will the EC eventually adopt or be influenced by the highly technical, detailed, and comprehensive map that carves out the 17 new seats to guarantee GPS’ electoral victory and enhance PBB’s dominance?

Or will EC demonstrate its independence by resisting such a proposal and being bold in implementing fair electoral boundaries of Sarawak?

EC chair person Ramlan Harun

We, the undersigned, urge Ramlan to:

• Answer if he and his commissioners have seen this deck of 92 slides, and if he has authorised or permitted the meeting between the Sarawak EC office and political representatives/state government;

• Assure the public that the Sarawak delineation process will be carried out in a manner of integrity and non-partisanship, and the EC will not adopt any party’s gerrymandering and malapportionment schema to be its own proposal;

• Abide by the demand of the Constitution in the 13th Schedule [subsection 2(c)] that parliamentary and state constituencies within the same state must have the number of voters that are “approximately equal”, which in the original spirit means that the largest constituency cannot be larger than the smallest constituency, and “weightage of area” is only given to constituencies that span across large areas and face transportation challenges;

  

• Ensure that the electoral boundaries prepared by the EC would:

1. Emphasise equalisation of voting power across DUNs, which in turn reduces the inequality of voting power at parliamentary seats (since the principle of simple multiple is not being practised).

2. Target the reduction of the electorate size of eight oversized parliamentary constituencies - P219 Miri, P196 Stampin, P217 Bintulu, P194 Petra Jaya, P212 Sibu, P195 Bandar Kuching and P197 Kota Samarahan - that are larger than the state’s average by more than 33.33 percent.

3. Place the 17 new seats between these 25 oversized state constituencies - N75 Senadin, N52 Dudong, N06 Tupong, N54 Pelawan, N12 Kota Sentosa, N11 Batu Lintang, N74 Pujut, N04 Pantai Damai, N14 Batu Kawah, N68 Tanjong Batu, N72 Lambir, N07 Samariang, N13 Batu Kitang, N10 Pending, N55 Nangka, N51 Bukit Assek, N19 Mambong, N17 Stakan, N16 Muara Tuang, N70 Samalaju, N45 Repok, N20 Tarat, N73 Piasau, N02 Tasik Biru and N79 Bukit Kota - with electorate sizes that would be larger than the new state average (for the new total of 99 seats) by more than 33.33 percent.

4. Apply reasonably and consistently the “weightage of area” (allowing smaller electorate size) to only constituencies that span across large areas, such as P216 Hulu Rajang (about the size of Pahang), P220 Baram (larger than Perak), P214 Selangau (Kedah), P217 Bintulu (Selangor), P215 Kapit (Negeri Sembilan) and P221 Limbang (two-thirds of Negeri Sembilan) and N64 Baleh, N65 Belaga, N66 Murum (larger than Kedah), N77 Telang Usan and N78 Mulu (almost Kedah). A suggested deviation from the average is +/-20 percent.

5. Provide justifications for the inability to achieve equalisation for selected constituencies.

   

• Start the delineation review soon so that it can be completed by July 14, 2027, namely within two years from the date the seat increase came into force (July 15, 2025), as stipulated by Article 113(3A).

We call upon citizens of Sarawak from all 31 parliamentary constituencies and 82 existing state constituencies to be equipped with knowledge and skills to protect their voting power by ensuring that the delineation process is fair and representative.

Effective training is provided for free by Rose Sarawak and Tindak. Members of the public can study the alternate, fair boundary proposal of 99 state assembly and 31 parliamentary seats here. - Mkini

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The undersigned:

Project Stability and Accountability for Malaysia (Projek Sama)

Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih)

Engage

Persatuan Pemangkin Daya Masyarakat (Rose) Sarawak

Persatuan Bertindak Pilihan Raya Bebas dan Saksama (Tindak)

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.