All 82 newly-elected Sarawak assemblymen sworn in

The Sarawak state legislative assembly building.

KUCHING: All the 82 newly-elected Sarawak state assemblymen on Tuesday took their oath of office before State Legislative Assembly Speaker Datuk Amar Mohammad Asfia Awang Nassar.

Twenty-nine of them are new faces, and they include those who won the 11 new seats. A redelineation exercise had increased the number of seats in the state assembly from 71 to 82.

Barisan Nasional has 72 assemblymen in the house while DAP has seven and PKR, three.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem, who is the assemblyman for Tanjung Datu, led the assemblymen in taking their oath at the new Sarawak State Legislative Assembly building.           

After him, the three deputy chief ministers were sworn in, namely Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas (Bukit Saban seat), Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing (Baleh) and Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg (Satok).

Mohd Asfia, in his speech after the swearing-in, congratulated the assemblymen for their victory.           

He also congratulated Sarawak Barisan led by Adenan for its outstanding victory in the state election held on May 7.

The first session of the first term of the 18th Sarawak state assembly begins Wednesday. It will be opened by Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud.

The house will sit until June 15. - Bernama