COMMENT Rise of Sarawak Efforts (Rose), a group of concerned citizens, is unhappy with the unequalised constituencies proposed by the Election Commission (EC) in its recent electoral delineation and delimitation exercise for Sarawak.

After detailed analysis of the EC proposals to increase Sarawak’s state assembly seats by 11 constituencies (from 71 to 82), Rose believes that the EC has failed to comply with its constitutional obligations as defined by Section 2 (c), Part 1 of the 13th Schedule to the Federal Constitution, which states:

“The number of electors within each constituency in a state ought to be approximately equal except that having regard to the greater difficulty of reaching electors in the country districts and the other disadvantages facing rural constituencies, a measure of weightage for area ought to be given to such constituencies.”

Although duty-bound to adhere to this key principle, the EC has not done so for reasons unknown...