KUCHING: The proposal to add 17 new seats to the Sarawak Legislative Assembly is unlikely to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat this year, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
He said the matter must go through several processes and procedures under the Election Commission (EC), including public display exercises to allow members of the public to submit objections or feedback.
"Based on information from the EC, it is most likely that it will not be tabled this year as several processes and procedures still need to be carried out.
"At the earliest, the EC can first display it to the public. After the display, there will be a period for objections and other processes. So it is most likely that it can only be tabled next year," he told reporters after handing over incentives to students who achieved excellent results in their SPM examination at Sekolah Menengah Sains Kuching Utara here Sunday (June 28).
Fadillah, who is also Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) senior vice-president, said the EC has its own procedures involving studies and population census data.
"The determination of when the proposal will be tabled is entirely under the jurisdiction of the EC, without government interference," he said.
In July last year, the State Legislative Assembly passed a Bill to add 17 new state seats, increasing the total from 82 to 99, subject to the redelineation process by the EC. – Bernama
