Kuching: The Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth (DAPSY) Sarawak has expressed concern over the recent constitutional amendment to increase the number of state ministers from 10 to 14.
Its Treasurer, Wong King Yii, stressed that any expansion must be based on genuine administrative needs rather than simply adding positions and increasing government expenditure.
“We do not reject the idea of expanding the Cabinet if it is truly necessary for better governance. But any expansion must be justified with clear evidence, proven needs, and a plan to make our administration more efficient — not heavier and more expensive,” he said in a statement.
Wong noted that the Sarawak Government currently has 27 assistant ministers. When combined with full ministers, nearly 47% of all ADUNs are now part of the executive, a proportion he described as “unusually high” by any standard.
“This raises a key question: Are we improving governance, or merely enlarging the executive?” he said.
Challenging the workload argument
The GPS-led state government had argued that some ministers hold multiple portfolios, necessitating the appointment of more ministers to better respond to public needs.
Wong countered that heavy workloads cannot be solved simply by appointing more ministers.
“Workload issues are addressed by properly organising ministries, eliminating overlaps, and ensuring clear responsibilities. Adding ministers without structural reform is like adding more drivers to a jammed road – congestion remains, only the payroll becomes bigger.
“If the Government believes the workload has grown, then show the public a functional review, demonstrate which responsibilities are overstretched, and justify each proposed position with transparent evidence,” he said.
He added that good governance must be grounded in facts, not assumptions.
Proposed alternative: Streamline ministries
Wong suggested merging overlapping portfolios to improve efficiency:
- Infrastructure, ports, transport, utilities, and telecommunications could be combined into a single Ministry of Infrastructure, Connectivity, and Utilities.
- Natural resources, energy, and environmental management could be unified under a single ministry to manage land use, resource extraction, and renewable energy development coherently.
- Economic-related portfolios, such as trade, investment, tourism, and creative industries, could be consolidated to strengthen Sarawak’s economic branding and reduce duplicate spending.
“These mergers are about building a Cabinet that is logically organised, easier to manage, and more effective in delivering results,” Wong said.
Call for transparency
He urged the government to publish a detailed functional audit of ministries, justify each new position with data, and implement a transparent restructuring plan.
“The people of Sarawak have the right to know how their money is being spent, and whether this expansion will genuinely improve service delivery or merely enlarge the political machinery,” Wong added.
