In a statement issued today, Sukarti said the tabling for the new state and federal constituencies will be only done after the Election Commission (EC) completes its study into the state’s parliamentary boundaries.
The statement today comes after the state opposition had criticised the delay and questioned the constitutionality of holding the upcoming general election without offering the 13 new state seats.
Earlier today, Parti Warisan Sabah president Shafie Apdal said the voices of Sabahans were silenced with the passing of the EC’s redelineation report for peninsular states by the Dewan Rakyat today. The motion had not included the 13 new state seats for Sabah.
The 13 new state seats had been been approved by the Sabah assembly some time ago.
Sukarti said after the proposal to redraw the state constituencies and create the additional new seats was approved by the Sabah assembly, the state government had requested the EC to also conduct a study into redrawing parliamentary boundaries to increase the number of such seats.
He gave several reasons for this, with one of them being that the last redelineation exercise for parliamentary constituencies was done 15 years ago.
“Another reason was the need to increase the number of Sabah’s representatives in the Dewan Rakyat, in line with the status and position of the state in the federation,” he said.
“Some parliamentary areas in Sabah are very big and are even larger than some of the states in the peninsula.
“Having a proper area size, taking into account the district administration boundary and representation at the Dewan Rakyat, will enhance the effectiveness of service to the people.”
Sukarti said the state government had been made to understand that the application for the study was now being considered by the EC.