KUCHING: More than two million Sarawakians are eligible to vote in the Dec 12 state election, a 62.7% increase from the previous polls in 2021.
A recent infographic shared by Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Women chief Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah showed that the electoral roll had 2,037,648 registered voters at the end of September, an increase of 785,634 from the 1,252,014 recorded in 2021.
The latest figure by the Election Commission (EC) as of Nov 6 is 2,058,781 voters.
Gender distribution is almost evenly split, while voters aged below 46 make up 58.2% of the electorate.
Those aged 31 to 45 form the largest group at 30%, followed by the 21-to-30 age group at 22%. Voters aged 46 to 59 account for 21%, while those aged 18 to 20, covered under Undi18, make up 6.2%.
By ethnicity, Iban voters form the largest group at 29%, followed by Chinese (28%), Malays (22%), Bidayuh (8.8%), Melanau (5.8%), Orang Ulu (4.9%) and other communities (2.9%).
The Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu communities are collectively known as the Dayak.
Senadin in Miri is the largest state constituency, with 74,501 voters. It is held by incumbent GPS-SUPP assemblyman Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin.
Gedong, held by Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg, is the smallest, with 10,481 voters.
With young voters seen as a potential deciding factor, parties are stepping up efforts to reach this segment of the electorate.
PBB senior vice-president Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the party would engage voters aged 18 to 30 through face-to-face interactions and social media campaigns.
He said the efforts had been ongoing since the 2021 election and extended beyond Sarawak to young Sarawakians working or studying in the peninsula.
Separately, Abang Johari, who is PBB president, said the party had yet to finalise its line-up for the state polls.
“No rush. Still about two weeks to go,” he said, referring to nomination day on Nov 28.
Speaking to reporters after launching PBB Youth’s election machinery in Samarahan yesterday, Abang Johari said he needed to “take it easy” when drawing up the candidate list.
Asked whether any PBB MPs would contest in the state polls, the caretaker Premier said it was not the party’s policy for an elected representative to hold federal and state seats simultaneously.
He said the practice dated back to the time of the late Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud to ensure elected representatives focused on one constituency and provided quality service.
“The party values improvements,” he added.
Speculation is rife that Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, the MP for Kapit, will contest one of the three state seats within the parliamentary constituency.
PBB holds two of the three Dayak-majority seats in Kapit, namely Katibas and Bukit Goram, while Pelagus is held by Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS).
PBB, the lynchpin of the four-party Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition, will contest 47 of the 82 seats in the coming election.
The other parties in GPS are PRS, Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).
