The Sarawak state assembly term ends in December, with the ruling GPS coalition and opposition DAP both preparing for polls expected in late 2024
KUCHING: The Sarawak State Elections will be held this year, said ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak secretary-general Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi.
Nanta, who is also Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu secretary general said the five-year State Assembly term will expire in December this year as the last state polls were on Dec 18, 2021.
“The next state elections will definitely be this year.
“As for which month, I will not give any hint.
“Only the Premier (Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg) can announce that decision,” he said during a talk show programme here.
Nanta is confident the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak will retain power after the next polls.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Sarawak DAP is busy with election preparation as party leaders believe it will be held in the coming months.
State DAP women chief Violet Yong, who is state assemblywoman for Pending, had said there are reasons to believe that Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg will announce the state polls in the fourth quarter of this year.
“Very likely, the state elections will be in Oct/Nov.
“We must get ready now.
“We in Sarawak only have two Opposition seat in the State Assembly.
“The ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak have 80 seats.
“That is very unhealthy for the check and balance of the ruling governance.
“Sarawak DAP must win more seats so that we can be an effective voice in checking on the ruling government,” she said during a party event at the Sarawak DAP headquarters in Kuching.
State party chairman Chong Chien Jen is the state assemblyman for Padungan.
Late last year, it was reported that the number of voters eligible to vote in the coming Sarawak State Elections have doubled in major urban state constituencies in southern, central and northern Sarawak.
Civil Society – Rise of Social Efforts Sarawak (ROSE) had compiled data showing surges in the voting population in Kuching, Miri, Sibu and Bintulu.
ROSE president Geoffrey Tang had then said the Election Commission must give top priority to redelineating these urban constituencies so that the voters will be better represented.
“Sarawak has constituencies such as the Senadin state seat in Miri where the number of voters have reached the 73,430 mark.
“There are at least 21 similar state constituencies with a very high increase in voters population exceeding 23,000 each,” he had said in a press statement.
Among those that ROSE found have increased voters are in Pantai Damai, Tupong, Samariang, Pending, Batu Lintang, Kota Sentosa, Batu Kitang, Batu Kawah, Mambong, Muara Tuang (southern Sarawak), Stakan, Tarat, Repok, Bukit Assek, Dudong, Pelawan, Nangka (central Sarawak), Tanjung Batu, Pujut, Senadin, Piasau and Lambir (northern Sarawak).
Tang said the redelineation of electoral boundaries must reflect the need to give these extremely-high voter population seats better representation.
“The EC must carry out redelineation in Sarawak based on these datas so the exercise will be transparent, fair and reflect the ground realities that voters in these key constituencies need better representation in the State Legislative Assembly so that their needs can be better taken care of,” he had said.
