KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 — Parliament’s lower House today approved a Bill to increase the number of state seats in Sarawak from 71 to 82, after about three hours of heated debate.

The Dewan Rakyat voted 130 for and 72 against in a bloc vote called by Deputy Speaker Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee, as the matter required a simple majority to be passed.

Earlier when winding up points raised during the debate, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Nancy Shukri said the redelineation is needed to improve the delivery of services by elected representatives to their constituents, especially in the rural areas.

“Some claim the EC only works for the benefit of one side, but the EC carried out its work freely and transparently, and did not follow orders of any party,” she told the House, referring to the Election Commission.

“We who are in this House should thank the EC for doing their work transparently and well... everything that what they have done is in line with provisions set aside in the Federal Constitution,” Nancy added.

During the debate, opposition MPs had attacked the Bill as allegedly favouring the state’s ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, with some claiming that voters would be moved out of opposition seats and into the new constituencies for the benefit of aspiring BN candidates.

The opposition bench also claimed numerous instances of gerrymandering in the redelineation exercise, and that it did not adhere to the principle of proportionate representation.

Nancy argued that it was impractical for Sarawak to use the “one man, one vote, one value” system due to large variations in topography and demography between constituencies in the country’s biggest state.

She stressed that by providing an elected representative for the more remote locations in the state, Sarawakians in the new seats would have better access to services that have long been hard to come by due to issues like distance and lack of road connectivity.

“I believe one day when development picks up, and we have more roads, industrial and socio-economic development, it will eventually close the gap separating one constituency from another,” she said.

This morning, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak tabled in the Dewan Rakyat a Bill to redraw electoral boundary lines in Sarawak, ahead of elections in Malaysia’s largest state that must be called by next year.

“The increase in state seats will improve the service level of the state assemblymen to the local residents in Sarawak especially to those who are residing in those new constituencies and will make it easier for state assemblymen and residents to interact and discuss issues relating to the residents’ welfare and boost development in those areas,” he said in his speech.

An amendment to Sarawak’s constitution to allow the increase was passed on December 4 last year.