Kuching: DAP Sarawak Chairman Chong Chieng Jen has criticised SUPP leader Wilfred Yap, accusing him of attempting to deflect from the issue of electoral redelineation by misrepresenting the opposition’s stance.
In a statement, Chong said DAP has consistently opposed the proposed redelineation of Sarawak’s state constituencies on the grounds of unequal representation, pointing to significant disparities between urban and rural voter sizes.
“While one urban seat contains about 70,000 voters, a rural seat may have only 11,000 voters. This means a rural vote carries up to seven times the weight of an urban vote, which undermines the very basis of democratic principles,” he said.
Chong stressed that opposition to the redelineation exercise should not be conflated with opposition to increasing the number of parliamentary seats for Sarawak.
“Wilfred Yap is attempting to equate two entirely different matters. As a legislator, he should understand the distinction between state seats and parliamentary seats, and the difference between opposing how seats are delineated and opposing an increase in seat numbers,” he added.
He further alleged that the redelineation exercise contains elements of gerrymandering that disproportionately favour rural constituencies, benefiting parties within the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), particularly Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB).
According to Chong, historical seat allocations show a decline in SUPP’s share of contested seats over the years, reflecting its diminishing influence within the ruling coalition.
“In 1987, SUPP contested 14 out of 48 seats (29.2%). This dropped to 17 out of 62 seats (27.4%) in 1995, 19 out of 71 seats (26.7%) in 2006, and further to 18 out of 82 seats (21.9%) in 2022,” he said.
Chong also criticised SUPP for remaining silent on the issue of unequal representation and its own reduced standing within the coalition.
“SUPP has failed to speak out against the imbalance between rural and urban voters, and has also not addressed its own declining influence within GPS. Instead, it continues to defend a redelineation process that undermines democratic fairness,” he said.
