Sarawak’s Minister for Tourism, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, clarified there is no agreement yet on increasing Sarawak’s parliamentary seats. While the state recently expanded its State Legislative Assembly (DUN) seats from 82 to 99, any change in parliamentary representation must be decided by the Election Commission (EC) and approved by Parliament.

He stressed that the state government can only manage state seats, and parliamentary seat changes require constitutional amendments and federal approval. The EC will handle the redelineation of the new state constituencies, and accusations of gerrymandering are unfair.

The increase to 99 state seats is strategic and symbolic, matching the DUN building’s design. Abdul Karim said the new state seats could pave the way for future parliamentary seat increases, aligning with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 goal for Sabah and Sarawak to hold one-third of Parliament seats.

The EC is responsible for finalizing the delineation, and the state government dismisses criticism of the exercise as politically motivated. This latest expansion, adding 17 seats, is the largest in Sarawak’s history and aims to ensure fair representation and governance.