DAP Sarawak has made fresh representations to the Election Commission to create six more seats - three state and three parliamentary - under the redelination exercise underway in the state.

The party submitted its recommendations last week for additional state and parliamentary seats in the Bandar Kuching, Sibu and Bintulu constituencies respectively.

DAP state secretary Chong Chieng Jen, who is also Bandar Kuching member of Parliament, said the creation of constituencies of equal size is crucial to ensure that every vote carries the same value.

"The discrepancy in the size of constituencies in Sarawak is shocking. There are vast differences in electoral size. A breakdown of parliamentary and state constituencies clearly shows the discrepancy in weightage."

The DAP proposal, a copy of which was made available to malaysiakini , aims at greater proportional representation. If accepted, it will bring the state seats to 74 and parliamentary seats to 34.

Chong said the Bandar Kuching parliamentary constituency should have an additional state seat made up of one-third of the voters from the current state constituencies of Padungan and Pending.

While conceding that the new electorate size of about 18,000 in each would be "on the high side", he pointed out that it would be "more acceptable and reasonable" under the one-person, one vote principle.

He also said the Bandar Kuching and Stampin parliamentary constituencies should be re-grouped into three, with an average of 38,300 voters in each.

Similarly, fairer weightage of votes could be achieved by regrouping Lanang and Sibu parliamentary constituencies into three - each with about 33,000 voters - as well a creating a new state seat with about 16,000 voters.

The party welcomed the proposed state seat of Kota Sentosa, carved out of the Batu Lintang and Batu Kawa state seats.

Changes overdue

Chong noted that the electoral boundaries of Bintulu have not been changed for a decade.

"It needs to be redelineated in view of its geography and to reflect the increase in population, as well as drastic changes especially in the state seat of Kidurong."

"Bintulu has a large base of 49,774 voters. It is too big an area to be service-friendly. The Election Commission may have realised this, as evidenced in the new delineation of a new parliamentary seat of Sibuti consisting of 21,531 voters," Chong said.

"If this can be done there, there is no reason why Kidurong - which is about the same size - cannot be made a parliamentary seat with 23, 321 voters."

If no changes are made to Bintulu, the DAP would like to see the polling district of Suai moved under Sibuti for administrative purposes and improved access.

The party further proposed a review of the boundaries of the Repok and Meradong state seats by shifting out voters from Selidap and Nyelong.

"To uphold proportional representation, the polling district of Merudu in Repok ought to be moved to the state constituency of Belawai."

It suggested that the Paoh polling district be moved to the Pakan state constituency which now has only 9,001 registered voters.

Chong said the party wants "a clean, free and fair electoral system as the bulwark of representative democracy as it would ensure true representation in government".

"...the EC... must ensure its obligations are properly discharged by observing the essentials of proportional representation, transparency and popular participation," he added.

TONY THIEN is malaysiakini 's Sarawak-based stringer.