October Sarawak assembly sitting no sign of November election, says Abdul Karim

SHAH ALAM, Aug 23 — The possibility of the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting being brought forward to October is not an indication that the next state election will be held in November, said Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) information chief Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

He said the DUN normally sits at least twice a year, and therefore the possible change from November to October should not be linked to speculation over the timing of the state election.

“I also see it that way. Usually, the sitting is held in November. This time, it may be held in October after the National Budget.

“It is not surprising because in Sarawak, the Assembly usually sits twice a year,” he said when met after watching a Sukma XXII diving event at the Darul Ehsan Aquatic Centre here on Sunday.

When asked to comment about speculation that the Sarawak election could be held in November if the Assembly sitting is brought forward, Abdul Karim said he did not view the matter from that perspective.

“That is the premier’s prerogative. If it is brought forward, there may be certain reasons for it, but I do not see it from that perspective. I see it more as part of the process where the Assembly needs to sit at least twice a year,” he said.

Meanwhile, Abdul Karim said holding the state election using 99 DUN seats by the end of this year could face constraints due to the time required for the delineation process.

He said the Election Commission (EC) would first need to display the proposed electoral boundaries, which he believed would take at least three months before the subsequent process could be carried out.

“Technically, I think the process would be quite difficult. It is not that it cannot be done, because I see that the EC already intends to display the proposed number of seats.

“But the problem is that the process of displaying them takes time. At least three months, if I am not mistaken,” he said.

He said the period may not be sufficient to enable the Sarawak election to be held using the 99 seats approved by the Sarawak Legislative Assembly.

According to him, the Bill to increase the number of DUN seats from 82 to 99 had been passed with almost unanimous support and was now awaiting the next processes involving the EC and Parliament.

“I was the one who tabled the Bill previously. It was passed with almost unanimous support by the Legislative Assembly.

“It is only awaiting the EC and confirmation in Parliament. But the timeframe and process may not allow it to be held before the end of this year,” he said. — The Borneo Post