Dewan Rakyat rams through Sarawak re-delineation exercise

The Dewan Rakyat today bulldozed through the controversial Sarawak electoral re-delineation report which increased the state's electoral seats from 71 to 82.

The motion was passed with a majority of 58 with 130 votes for the motion and 72 against.

With the approval, the Sarawak state election can now go ahead with the current term of the state legislative assembly expiring in June.

The re-delineation exercise by the Election Commission was criticised by the opposition as an attempt to allow BN to retain the state by winning through gerrymandering in what is expected to be a closely-fought state polls.

A total of 15 opposition lawmakers were absent from the voting process - nine from PAS and three each from DAP and PKR.

The five MPs from PAS who were present for the voting were Che Rosli Che Mat (Hulu Langat), Nik Mazian Nik Mohamad (Pasir Puteh), Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (Rantau Panjang), Mahfuz Omar (Pokok Sena) and Ahmad Baihaki Atiqullah (Kubang Kerian).

Marang parliamentarian and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, party secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan (Kota Baru) and seven others were absent.

The absent PKR lawmakers were Azmin Ali (Gombak), Lee Boon Chye (Gopeng) and Michael Teo (Miri). Twenty-seven PKR MPs were present.

According to PKR leader R Sivarasa, Azmin had to attend an official function while Teo was abroad for a conference.

As for DAP, Er Teck Hwa (Bakri), M Kulasegaran (Ipoh Barat) and Lim Kit Siang (Gelang Patah) were not present for the vote.

Er was on a medical leave while Kulasegaran was representing Parliament for an overseas conference. Lim is on a six-month suspension for contempt since Oct 22.

All the six Parti Amanah Negara lawmakers were present in the House for voting.

In her winding-up debate, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nancy Shukri denied that BN has interfered in the re-delineation exercise by the EC.

According to her, the 'One man, One vote, One value' concept that the opposition wanted could not be achieved in Sarawak given its demography and geographic conditions.

Road quality poser

Nancy asked the opposition to support BN's re-delineation exercise as there was a similarity between BN and DAP particularly with regard to the latter's "Go Rural" programme which was set up to capture support in rural Sarawak areas.

She said BN felt proud that the DAP used roads that were built by the government to access the rural areas of the Land of the Hornbills.

"Thus, I was surprised to find out that one of the Go Rural projects, a DAP service centre, was shut down and turned into a hair salon within a month. The picture went viral on social media.

"I don't how it ended up this way. Will this confuse the rural people? Don't play with their feelings," she said.

Besides Go Rural, DAP also embarked on its 'Impian Sarawak' programme through which volunteers built infrastructural amenities such as roads and water pipes in remote Sarawak areas.

Nancy said the roads built by the DAP could not compare with the quality of the roads built by the Public Works Department (PWD).

"We realise that roads were built, but the standard is not the same with those built by the PWD," she said.

"Why do we need a re-delineation exercise? Why do we say this is the way to offer the best service? Because some leaders had promised to build roads and give us others things but (the promises) have yet to be fulfilled," she said.

"Only the leaders of the day can give it to us. So I am thankful to the federal government for willingly helping us," she added.

Sarawak DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen denied that a DAP service centre in Sarawak was turned into a hair salon.

He clarified that a DAP grassroots leader had occupied a shoplot in Kapit where the landlord rented the front portion of the shop to a hairdresser.

Met at the Parliament lobby, he said the arrangement was made as Kapit rental rates were expensive due to a scarcity of commercial buildings in the area. -Mkini