The proposed delineation exercise for Sarawak's electoral boundaries is a clear indication that the Chinese-based Sarawak United People's Party (Supp) is losing its clout in the state administration.

At least, this is the opinion of the party's political opponent in the state, the DAP.

Sarawak DAP chairperson Wong Ho Leng said today that Supp is going downhill in the eyes not only of the people and state Barisan Nasional leaders but also of the supposedly neutral Election Commission (EC).

Wong, a former state assemblyperson for Bukit Assek, was commenting on the EC's announcement that there would be eight new state assembly seats and three parliamentary seats for Sarawak when the latest delineation exercise is eventually approved.

With the latest delineation exercise, Sarawak will have 70 state assembly seats and 31 parliamentary seats.

Supp, whose membership is largely Chinese with a sprinkling of Dayak members, is expected to get one additional state seat - Pujut in Miri.

Presently, it has 16 state seats, including 13 Chinese-majority seats and four parliamentary seats. The 14th Chinese seat - Kidurong - is held by DAP's Chiew Chin Sing.

Supp president Dr George Chan was today quoted in local newspapers as saying it is too early for the party to make any comment on the delineation move "as we don't have the details".

He added that he would be meeting other Supp leaders on Wednesday.

Chan, however, gave some indications the party was less than happy, saying he would have liked to see more seats created for Kuching instead of just one seat in Miri.

BN leaders consulted

The new Pujut seat has been carved out of his own Piasau state constituency in Miri.

Malaysiakini understands the delineation exercise started about six months ago, and some top state BN leaders would have been consulted on the proposed changes.

"If Supp did make some representations but were not accommodated, it can only mean that they have not been given the attention they deserve," a political commentator said.

Earlier this week, EC chairperson Rashid Abdul Rahman said the exercise involving Kuching had to be postponed this time round, but gave no reasons for it.

Malaysiakini , however, understands that if the EC were to accommodate the requests from all parties it would have to create more than eight state and three parliamentary seats.

Of the eight state seats, the Dayaks form the major groups in five, the Melanaus in two and Chinese in one. Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud's Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) is expected to have a lion's share.

The state DAP chief told malaysiakini in an e-mail:"There is, theoretically, no harm for the Dayaks to be given the most seats, merely because they are the biggest single race in Sarawak."

"But that theory won't hold, because surely one has to consider that unless the pre-delineation boundaries had been wrong, the delineation will have to be reflective of racial composition too."

Wong added: "In other words, I will have to think that considering the racial composition in Sarawak, the Dayaks and Chinese should get three seats each, Melanaus/Malays two seats. But that is not what it is."

"Supp gets one? It is a party that is impotent," he added.

Wong said Supp leaders might try and make some noise but it would be a vain effort.

SPDP not happy too

Meanwhile, another state BN component Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) has also reserved comments on the delineation exercise.

SPDP president William Mawan who is also state Social Development and Urbanisation Minister, said after some initial discussions yesterday its party leaders would meet again to discuss the matter in greater details.

There appears to be some unhappiness too among SPDP leaders with the latest changes, particularly the proposal to split the Limbang seat and create a new state seat Batu Danau which has an entirely different electorate make-up.

The state Limbang seat is presently held by SPDP through Richard Wong, eldest businessman son of former Sarawak National Party president James Wong, who held the same seat for many years before his son took over.

This is already seen in some quarters as a further attempt to edge Richard out and reinforce PBB's claim for the Limbang which it has pursued for at least two to three decades.

TONY THIEN is malaysiakini 's Sarawak-based stringer.