SARAWAK Pakatan Harapan component parties have kick-started joint preparations to face the coming Sarawak state elections slated for the middle next year which they believe could be held earlier.
Component parties which include Sarawak DAP, Sarawak Parti Keadilan Rakyat and Sarawak Parti Amanah held a state election preparation meeting in Kuching to discuss latest issues relating to the coalition's ground preparations.
Discussions were held on seat distribution and assessing grassroot situations in the 82 state constituencies.
"We, Sarawak PH are contesting in the coming state elections. The coalition component parties are united in their desire to make a greater impact in the coming state elections to give the rakyat of Sarawak a bigger voice and to fight for their rights and welfare.
"Recently, certain quarters in the GPS ruling state government had publicly told Sarawak PH to stay out of the coming state elections. That is very arrogant of GPS to say although they lead in 80 of the 82 state seats.
"Well, absolute power corrupts absolutely," said Sarawak PH in a statement issued soon after the meeting.
The seat distribution talks among Sarawak PH parties will progress in the coming months.
The meeting was chaired by Sarawak PH chairman Chong Chien Jen (pic), who is also Sarawak DAP chairman.
Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) had said it wants to be given new state constituencies such as in Miri which will be created in the ongoing electoral boundary re-delineation exercise.
Miri is traditionally under the control of Sarawak United Peoples Party (SUPP) which is also a GPS component party.
A PBB branch chief in Miri, Ariffin Mohamad, had tabled a resolution during a party meeting recently staking a claim to the new Miri seats being carved out.
"PBB must be given the right over new state constituencies in Miri so PBB can have representation in Miri. PBB must be given the right to field candidates in the new seats during the coming state elections.
"We, in PBB also want more Miri councilor posts to be given to us. And, we also want a senator's post to represent northern Sarawak in the Senate," Ariffin told the media in Miri today.
SUPP controls three state constituencies in Miri, namely Piasau, Pujut and Senadin.
Last year, SUPP leaders also staked their claims to the new seats in Miri being re-delineated.
The Vibes learnt that the electoral boundary re-delineation proposed for Sarawak is targeted to create 10 new parliamentary seats with three new constituencies in northern Sarawak, three in central and four more southern Sarawak.
Each of these 10 new parliamentary constituencies will see two or three new state seats created, if the normal criterion is followed whereby every parliamentary seat is to have two to three state seats.
Sources in GPS and in Sarawak PH hinted that in northern Sarawak, the three new parliamentary seats will be carved out in the existing districts of Baram, Miri and Bintulu with each of these districts divided into two parliamentary seats.
In central Sarawak, the existing parliamentary constituencies of Ulu Rajang, Kapit will each be divided into two, and the existing boundary of Sibu and Sarikei will see a creation of a new parliamentary seat.
In southern Sarawak, the existing parliamentary constituencies of Bandar Kuching, Stampin, Samarahan and Serian will see extensive realignment of their electoral borders to carve out another four new parliamentary seats.
That southern Sarawak cluster have a huge population of nearly a million people.
State capital Kuching, which encompasses Bandar Kuching and Stampin parliamentary seats, have a population of about 700,000. – February 24, 2025
