PSB urges EC to correct imbalance in electoral constituencies

KUCHING: Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) wants the imbalance in electoral constituencies to be corrected following the conclusion of the Sarawak state election.

Its president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh said the local Opposition party received a total of 139,515 votes in last Saturday’s (Dec 18) polls, or 18.69% of all votes cast and won a total of four seats.

In comparison, he said Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) took 457,253 or 60% of the votes and won 76 seats.

“This means GPS won 93% of the 82 seats contested on just 60% of the total votes cast.

“Hence, there is an urgent need to correct this imbalance, which would have brought PSB another 11 seats if effective representation were practised,” he said in a statement on Tuesday (Dec 21).

Nevertheless, Wong said PSB’s second placing in the polls makes it a force to be reckoned with despite being a new party.

PSB, which made its election debut, emerged as the strongest Opposition party with four seats while DAP took only two. No other Opposition party or Independent candidate won a seat.

Wong also said the low voter turnout of 60.67%, with 20 and five percentage points less respectively in urban and rural constituencies compared to the previous election, affected the results.

He also urged the Election Commission to look into allegations that government machinery and resources were used during the campaign.