Abdul Karim dismisses rumours over allocation of Sarawak’s 17 new state assembly seats

KUCHING, March 12 — Rumours surrounding the allocation of Sarawak’s 17 new state assembly (DUN) seats may be deliberate attempts by mischievous cyber troopers to create confusion and divert public attention, said Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

The Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Information chief dismissed claims that political parties had already secured the additional seats.

“Suddenly, some people are saying, out of 17 seats, 10 are guaranteed for PBB, three for Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), and so on.

“I do not think PBB or SUPP has the authority to claim seats at this stage.

“There are no seats yet. I do not even know where the seats are,” he told a press conference after the soft launch of the Borneo Global MediTourism Congress and Expo 2026 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching.

Abdul Karim, who tabled the motion to increase the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) seats from 82 to 99, explained that the proposal still requires approval from Parliament and the Election Commission (EC) before it can be finalised.

“After state assembly approval, it will be sent to Parliament for endorsement.

“Once approved, it becomes the EC’s responsibility to determine where the additional seats will be located,” he said.

He also warned the public to be wary of misleading reports circulating on social media.

“Perhaps these stories were released to ‘porak peranda’ (create confusion) among us.

“We are still waiting for Parliament’s endorsement. Why are there stories about parties arguing over which seats they will get?

“It could be mischievous cyber troopers or even actors from Peninsular Malaysia trying to divert attention so that we quarrel instead of focusing on Parliament,” Abdul Karim said.

On the approval process, he clarified that it must follow the legal procedure.

“The state assembly has the power to propose state assembly seats. The EC can only determine the constituencies after going to the ground and displaying their proposals.

“The people have the right to decide,” he explained.

Abdul Karim highlighted that the DUN motion received near-unanimous support, with only two Opposition members not backing it, and expressed confidence that Parliament would endorse the increase.

“Unless the minister of law is unaware of the law, we do not have the authority to approve parliamentary seats.

“When I tabled the motion, it was only for the state to decide. Let the process go smoothly and Parliament will endorse it,” he said. — The Borneo Post