KOTA KINABALU, Sept 15 — The Election Commission (EC) posted today notices of 13 proposed new state constituencies for Sabah.
In notices published in The Borneo Post daily, the new seats are: N.02 Bengkoka, N.06 Mengaris, N.08 Pintasan, N.13 Pantai Dalit, N.17 Darau, N.24 Tanjung Dumpil, N.27 Dampai, N.44 Tulid, N.47 Telupid, N.51 Sungai Manila, N.58 Lamag, N.61 Segama, and N.70 Kukusan.
This would effectively add one state seat to the parliamentary constituencies of Kudat, Kota Marudu, Kota Belud, Tuaran, Sepanggar, Putatan, Papar, Pensiangan, Beluran, Libaran, Kinabatangan Silam and Kalabakan respectively. No changes were made to the parliamentary seats.
According to the notice, the total number of voters in Sabah stands at 995,729.
Objections to the proposed recommendation can be made to the state EC office but must be in accordance to constitution.
State Election Commission director Datuk Mohd Idrus Ismail said that the new constituencies took into account the large number of voters in some areas and others that required the assemblyman to cross over boundaries.
“For instance, the new Bengkoka seat is carved out of Pitas and the islands Banggi, so that Banggi can stand as its own,” he said when met at his office here today.
He said the public could submit their objections to his office, if they obtain no fewer than 100 supporting names, before October 14.
These will then be brought up at a public hearing, estimated to be sometime at the end of October.
“We will ask those groups with legitimate objections to speak, and take into consideration their recommendations. The second and final proposal will be displayed in December,” said Mohd Idrus.
The state legislative assembly sitting in August approved a motion for the creation of the 13 state seats.
