Kuching: The Sarawak government today presented the State Legislative Assembly (Membership Composition) Bill 2025 to increase the number of State Assembly Members (ADUN) from 82 to 99.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the bill was introduced by Sarawak’s Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah. It aims to reflect demographic changes, the expanding urban areas, and the growing need for equitable representation in the state.
Abdul Karim emphasized that due to Sarawak’s vast geographical size, the proposed increase in ADUNs is reasonable and necessary to ensure effective coverage of rural areas. “This step will enhance public access to governance, ensure that people’s needs and concerns are addressed more efficiently, and improve service delivery through closer and more responsive leadership,” he stated during a special session of the Sarawak Legislative Assembly.
The minister explained that the proposed amendment would repeal the State Legislative Assembly (Membership Composition) Ordinance 2014 (Chapter 70), which currently sets the number of seats at 82. Once approved and gazetted, the new composition will be implemented for the upcoming state election.
“Voters will elect 99 ADUNs to this Assembly. This change will ensure the Assembly remains responsive, relevant, and ready to serve every corner of the state more efficiently and comprehensively,” he added.
Abdul Karim detailed the historical progression of the state’s legislative body, noting that the number of seats has progressively increased over the years, starting from 48 seats in 1969, escalating to 56 in 1985, 62 in 1995, 71 in 2005, and 82 in 2014.
He highlighted that the new bill aligns with Article 113(2)(ii) of the Federal Constitution, which permits electoral boundary reviews at intervals of no less than eight years. “The last delimitation review in Sarawak was conducted in 2015. Since then, we have witnessed significant growth in population and voter numbers, especially after the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 years,” Abdul Karim noted.