KUCHING: Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has cautioned political parties against resorting to extreme and divisive methods in their quest for public support.
The Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) president said with Sarawak expected to undergo a re-delineation exercise this year, resulting in increased state constituencies, parties will engage in intense lobby for the extra seats.
“Consider this: will voters grant us a mandate in these new areas or seats later? On what basis will they choose us? Is it because we have many party members? Is the quantity of party members more important than the quality?
“As political leaders, we must prioritise our work efforts and diligently resolve the people’s issues,” Tiong, who is also Bintulu MP and Dudong assemblyman said in a Facebook post yesterday (June 11).
The last review of the state’s electoral boundaries was conducted in 2015. Under the Federal Constitution, a redelineation exercise can be carried out every eight years. Currently, Sarawak has 82 state and 31 parliamentary seats.
In May, Premier and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) chairman Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg announced that the coalition would submit a revision of the voting boundaries to the Election Commission (EC) by this year.
On the appointment of longhouse chiefs, Tiong said he had met stakeholders to discuss the matter and avoid unnecessary inconvenience for longhouse residents.
“Once again, I stress that no authority can interfere in the selection of community leaders.
“If there is any abuse of power, please report it to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) so that appropriate action can be taken,” he said.
