INTRODUCTION

This mini-site was dedicated to studying key issues of Sarawak in preparation for the upcoming state election of 2020/2021. Please respect this principle where this mini-site is for academic, NGO, personal, and noncommercial purposes. Citations are to follow what is written in each section. Each user is to exercise discretion when referring to the data and we are not responsible for any errors and omissions.

SARAWAK: OVERVIEW OF 2021 ELECTIONS

UPDATED ON 21/12/2021

Hover any of the state constituencies in the interactive map below to learn who is your elected representative, his or her political affiliation, and other election-related data.

For a larger view (highly recommended), click here

For data download (please use after doing independent checks), click here

We are not responsible for any errors and omissions arising from the data file and are not responsible for any misuse of the derivatives.

The map application and data file were compiled by the Tindak Malaysia Election Analysis Unit (2021).

For Citation (for interactive map visualization and data file): As per our Github link for Election Results and Composition

SECTIONS

1. Sarawak: Electoral, Administrative and Local Authority Boundaries
2. Sarawak: Electorate & Total Population
   • • • Electorate Scene
       • Population Scene
       • Ethnic Composition Scene
3. Sarawak: DUN Composition & Political Scene
4. Sarawak: Deforestation Issue
5. Sarawak: Water Accessibility
6. Sarawak: Specific Constituency Stories (Updated)
7. (Future Topics)

Sarawak: Electoral, Administrative and Local Authority Boundaries

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Sarawak has 12 Divisions (Bahagians); under each Division, there are two or more districts (Daerah). Under the districts, there are subdistricts (Daerah Kecil)

Sarawak has 26 Local Authority Areas (Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan – PBT). Sarawak is home to one of the three City Halls in Malaysia – Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara. In Sarawak, like other parts of Malaysia, there are different types of Local Authorities and they are:

1. 1. City Hall/City Council (Dewan Bandaraya/ Majlis Bandaraya) – examples: Kuching, Miri
   2. Municipal Council (Majlis Perbandaran) – examples: Padawan
   3. District Council (Majlis Daerah) – example: Kapit
   4. Special Areas (i.e. Lembaga Kemajuan) – example: Bintulu

Each type of Local Authority Area comes with different responsibilities and expectations. You can find more here – https://jkt.kpkt.gov.my/node/36

Sarawak has 82 State Legislative Assembly Seats/ State Constituencies (Kawasan Pilihan Raya Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN)) and 31 parliamentary seats. The boundaries of the 82 state constituencies have been enforced since 2015 and can be reviewed from 2023 onwards.

A subdistrict is a subset of a district and a district is a subset of a Division. However, there is no absolute correspondence between the boundaries of land administration (districts) with local authority areas and electoral boundaries. A state constituency could span multiple districts or be a subset of a Local Authority Area. A local authority area can span multiple districts or be confined to a small section of a district.

We, at Tindak Malaysia, have developed an interactive map application (below) for you to identify your District, Sub District Division, Local Authority Area, State Constituency, and Parliamentary Constituency. Alternatively, you can click the link here to open it shows, the underwennongovernmentalorganisations, noncommercial .in a separate tab. The map was built through a joint effort between Michael Leow and Danesh Prakash Chacko (2020). The map was subsequently updated through a joint effort between SM Sabri and Danesh Prakash Chacko (2023). The map has undergone two rounds of updates by Danesh Prakash Chacko in early 2024 to reflect the latest district boundaries and formation of Majlis Daerah Gedong (2024).

Corrections were made to the locations of Pantu and Lingga Districts and the shape of Majlis Perbandaran Padawan on 16th March 2024. A new correction was made for the District of Kapit on 2nd November 2024.

Instructions

1. Click on any part of the map to query the name of the state constituency (DUN), local council area, district, and divisional boundaries.
2. Click on the Layers to turn on and turn off the layers before querying.

For Citation:  Laporan Kajian Semula Persempadanan mengenai Syor-Syor yang dicadangkan bagi Bahagian – Bahagian Pilihan raya Persekutuan dan Negeri di dalam Negeri Sarawak Kali Keenam 2015 (EC), Division Websites, Department of Statistics Malaysia, International Steering Committee for Global Mapping Malaysia. (Jabatan Ukur dan Pemetaan), Local Council Website, Unit Komunikasi Awam Sarawak, Sarawak State Attorney-General’s Chambers, compiled by Tindak Malaysia (2020) and updated in 2023 and 2024.

 Sarawak: Electorate & Total Population

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Electorate Scene

As Sarawak gears for the next state election, our research concluded that Sarawak has been experiencing a slower growth in electorate size with some constituencies experiencing minor depopulation. Having said that, being an elector (term voter is applicable for polling day) is optional in Malaysia and the elector has been given the freedom to update the Election Commission of his or her new address. This creates an unquantifiable amount of mismatches between the actual electorate who resides in Sarawak and the electorate who on paper resides in Sarawak.

Irrespective of the mismatches, the urgency for Sarawakians to register soon is the highlight of the map application. Click the map application here to learn more about Sarawak’s evolving State Constituency Electorate Population since 2015. Follow the Instructions within the application (which is shown on the left-hand side).

The map application is built by the Tindak Malaysia Election Analysis Unit (2020).

For Citation: Attorney General Chambers, Senarai Harga Daftar Pemilih Induk Tahun 2019 (EC), Laporan Keputusan Akhir Dewan Undangan Negeri bagi Negeri Sarawak Tahun 2016 (EC), Laporan Kajian Semula Persempadanan mengenai Syor-Syor yang dicadangkan bagi Bahagian – Bahagian Pilihan raya Persekutuan dan Negeri di dalam Negeri Sarawak Kali Keenam 2015 (EC), PKR, Compiled by Tindak Malaysia Election Analysis Unit.

Population Scene

Sarawak’s population has grown 1.7 times since 1991 and currently has a population estimate of  2,828,900 (2018) according to the Department of Statistics (DOSM). In the 2018 estimate, 55% of the Sarawakian population resided in the districts of Kuching, Bintulu, Miri, and Sibu (home to the four main cities that share the same names as their parent districts). This is an increase of 7% in concentration since 1991.

The top three districts that experienced a multiplication of population were:

1. Samarahan  – Grown by 3 times since 1991
2. Bintulu – Grown by 2.5 times since 1991
3. Miri – Grown by 2.2 times since 1991

While the population has grown strongly in the more urbanized districts, Sarawak has been experiencing a severe malapportionment among state constituencies which disadvantage urbanites. The map below shows the implication of the redelineation (then) proposals of 2015 which grossly reduced voter value for Sarawakians who reside in urban areas. In 2018, approximately 58% of the Sarawakians resided in urban areas (refer here).

The map below shows the evolution of population growth in the districts of Sarawak since 1991.

Instructions

1. Click the map below for a larger view
2. You are taken to the full view of the map. Click on the image for a larger view
3. Click again to minimize view
4. Click the back button to return to the main menu
5. Please read the statement below the population map on the Sarawak Election Site to understand the reasons for missing data

The map was compiled by the Tindak Malaysia Election Analysis Unit (2020)

For Citation:  Department of Statistics of Malaysia (DOSM), Data.Gov.my, International Steering Committee for Global Mapping (Malaysia. Jabatan Ukur dan Pemetaan), Majlis Daerah Betong, Majlis Daerah Sibuti, Majlis Perbandaran Padawan, Unit Komunikasi Awam Sarawak, compiled by Tindak Malaysia (2020)

Any modification (parts or whole) of the map below for non-Tindak purposes requires written permission which can be directed via info@tindakmalaysia.com

* Tebedu was once part of Serian District, Pusa was part of Betong District, Kabong was part of Saratok District, Tanjung Manis was part of Daro District, Sebauh was part of Bintulu District, Bukit Mabong was part of Kapit District, Beluru and Telang Usan Districts were part of Marudi District

Ethnic Composition Scene

UPDATED ON 21/12/2021 WITH CORRECTIONS FOR 2021 ETHNICITY DATA 

Sarawak is an ethnically diverse state where no particular ethnic majority dominates the state outright (this has influenced the political attitudes of the state government over the years). In 2017, the Iban community constituted 29% of the total population (not referring to the electorate), Malays (23%), Chinese (22%), Bidayuh (8%), Melanau (5%), Other Indigenous Groups (6%), Indians and Others (1%) and Non-Citizens (6%).

In terms of Electorate Breakdown of Seats, in 2016 there were 28 Malay and Melanau Majority Seats (34% of the total 82 seats), 22 Iban Majority Seats (27% of total seats), 15 Chinese Majority Seats (18% of total seats), 6 Bidayuh Majority Seats (7% of total seats), 4 Orang Ulu Majority Seats (5% of total seats) and 7 Mixed Seats (8% of total seats). Malay and Melanau communities are overrepresented communities in Sarawak DUN Composition while Iban Community is underrepresented on the other hand. Bidayuh and Chinese communities are slightly underrepresented in the Sarawak DUN.

For the 2016 Data, please visit Tindak Malaysia’s Github link.

ABOVE PARAGRAPH WAS UPDATED ON 12/12/2024 WITH CORRECTIONS FOR 2016 ETHNIC MAJORITY CONSTITUENCIES

In the link below, the simple interactive map shows the ethnic majorities for each DUN for the year 2016 – the year when Sarawak conducted its 11th State Elections.

Click here for a larger view.

Hover any of the state constituencies in the interactive map below to learn about the ethnic composition of the Sarawak Electorate Scene.

The map was compiled by the Tindak Malaysia Election Analysis Unit (2020) and updated in 2021

For Citation: New Straits Times (11th Sarawak Election: Full Official Results), SPR Malaysia, Tindak Malaysia (2020)

In terms of Electorate Breakdown of Seats, in 2021 there are 28 Malay and Melanau Majority Seats (34% of the total 82 seats), 22 Iban Majority Seats (27% of total seats), 16 Chinese Majority Seats (20% of total seats), 8 Bidayuh Majority Seats (10% of total seats), 5 Orang Ulu Majority Seats (6% of total seats) and 3 Mixed Seats (4% of total seats). Malay and Melanau communities are an overrepresented community in Sarawak DUN Composition while Iban Community is underrepresented on the other hand. Bidayuh and Chinese communities are slightly underrepresented in the Sarawak DUN.

Seats potentially may have experienced  ethnic majority reclassification from 2016 to 2021 are:

1. N.23 Bukit Semuja (Mixed to Bidayuh)
2. N.75 Senadin (Mixed to Chinese)

*Serembu 2016 data was corrected to Bidayuh majority (corrected to  12/12/2024). New Straits Times data for Serembu was deemed erroneous

In the link below, the simple interactive map shows the ethnic majorities for each DUN for the year 2021 – the year when Sarawak conducted its 12th State Elections.

Click here for a larger view.

Hover any of the state constituencies in the interactive map below to learn about the ethnic composition of the Sarawak Electorate Scene.

For Citation: New Straits Times, The STAR, SPR Malaysia, Tindak Malaysia (2021)

The next map highlights ethnic distribution among administrative districts using the Department of Statistics, Malaysia 2018 projections. Proportions are calculated using the Total Population (inclusive of Non-Malaysians).

The map was compiled by Danesh Prakash Chacko.

For Citation: Follow what is listed in the map in its fullest form.

SARAWAK: DUN COMPOSITION & POLITICAL SCENE

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Sarawak DUN Scene from 2006 – 2016

From Tindak Malaysia’s analysis of three election cycles at the DUN level and recorded incidents of electoral abuses, the following seats should be closely monitored:

1. Tasik Biru
2. Kota Sentosa
3. Batu Kitang
4. Batu Kawah
5. Repok
6. Dudong
7. Bawang Assan
8. Pelawan
9. Piasau
10. Pujut
11. Senadin
12. Telang Usan
13. Ba’kelalan

The map below shows a general overview of the evolving electoral scene of Sarawak from 2006 to 2016. Over the years, the chief ministers of Sarawak have been changed, new political alliances were born, the opposition parties such as DAP and PKR experienced some inroads (and setbacks too) and the 2015 redelineation exercise coincided with the addition of 11 new state constituencies.

Instructions

1. Click the map below for a larger view
2. You are taken to a full view of the map. Click on the image for a larger view
3. Click again to minimize view
4. Click the back button to return to the main menu

The map product is jointly built by Danesh Prakash Chacko and Keng Hooi Teoh.

For Citation: EC Malaysia, Wikipedia, compiled by Tindak Malaysia (2020)

For historical Election Results and the Composition of Sarawak elections from 2006 to 2016, please visit our Github link.

Any modification (parts or whole) of the map below for non-Tindak purposes requires written permission which can be directed via info@tindakmalaysia.com

WORK IN PROGRESS

SARAWAK: DEFORESTATION ISSUE

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WORK IN PROGRESS

While the majority of Sarawak’s area is under forest cover (2018), industrial plantations (i.e. oil palm) have been the principal drivers of deforestation in Sarawak for the past four decades (refer here). In 2018, Sarawak had 6.3 million hectares of forest area which is slightly over 50% of the state.  From 2000 to 2018, Sarawak lost nearly 1.8 million hectares of forest area where nearly 50% of the loss was attributed to oil palm plantation expansion. The bulk of the forest loss largely occurred before the year 2010. Some of the consequences of deforestation and logging are an increasing number of flood events, loss of access to traditional food and clean water, and destruction of sources of income (refer here)

Having said that, forest losses from 2015 have substantially reduced and more so, the growth of industrial oil palm and pulpwood plantations has slowed down. One of the primary factors which contributed to the slowing of oil palm plantation growth is due to the decline of crude palm oil prices (refer here). Moreover, one must also attribute the efforts of the government, private sector (i.e. banks), and civil society to keeping a lid on the growth of these plantations.

This section briefly looks at key figures of the Sarawak Deforestation Scene.

Click on the Brief Story of Sarawak’s Deforestation Scene link here to obtain a quick overview of the issue. This application is built by Danesh Prakash Chacko with the advice of Keng Hooi Teoh (2020)

Instructions

1. Once you click the link, it will open in a separate tab
2. On the topmost part of the application (Key Facts), you will see three sections – Opening Page, Overview of Land Use and Deforestation, and Key Facts. Click on any of these options to view dedicated dashboards
3. For the dedicated dashboard section, hover over the area, bar, and line charts to see the values at different intervals of time

For Citation for Key Facts: Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), https://atlas.cifor.org/, EC Malaysia, compiled by Tindak Malaysia (2020)

The image above shows the content of the application when you open the link

SARAWAK: WATER ACCESSIBILITY

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WORK IN PROGRESS

One of the key features that appear in Sarawak state elections is the distribution of water tanks in rural areas. This begs the question of why water tanks are still being distributed to rural areas as opposed to seriously investing in regular and stable water supply. The 2020 National Budget under the PH government allocated RM470 million for rural water supply connectivity for Sabah and Sarawak (refer here). However, the Sarawakian state government believes this allocation is below the expected expense (of RM 3 billion) to enable a full rural water supply for Sarawak. Sarawak’s government estimated such allocation would only increase the coverage of water supply by a minuscule number (0.3%). To delve further into this issue, this section is dedicated to highlighting to all the readers how access to water across Sarawak has evolved.

Quick Facts

1. Access to piped water in a house has increased from 80.8% (2012) to 86.4% (2019) of households in Sarawak
2. Access to piped water in a house for urban areas has been consistently around 98 – 99.4% (2012 – 2019) of households in Sarawak
3. Access to piped water in a house for rural areas has grown from 57.4% (2012) to 69.8 % (2019) of households in Sarawak
4. Around 42% of Sarawak’s population resided in rural areas in 2018
5. The top State Constituencies receiving water tanks in 2016 were Opar (1500) and Tanjung Datu (1500). Both are largely located in Lundu District where 45.2% of the households received piped water access at home (2016)

The map below shows a quick comparison in the growth of access to piped water for households in Sarawak by administrative districts

Instructions

1. Click the map below for a larger view
2. You are taken to a full view of the map. Click on the image for a larger view
3. Click again to minimize view
4. Click the back button to return to the main menu

Map compiled by Tindak Malaysia Election Analysis Unit (2020)

For Citation: Department of Statistics of Malaysia, International Steering Committee for Global Mapping (Malaysia. Jabatan Ukur dan Pemetaan), Jabatan Ukur dan Pemetaan, Tindak Malaysia (2020)

Any modification (parts or whole) of the map below for non-Tindak purposes requires written permission which can be directed via info@tindakmalaysia.com

SARAWAK: CONSTITUENCY SPECIFIC STORIES

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This section is dedicated to specific stories and analyses for certain constituencies. Click on the text below to study in-depth stories for various constituencies. Citations are to follow the specifications mentioned on the website.

Focus Constituencies: Overview

Population Scene in Miri