KUCHING: Speculation is mounting over the possible dissolution of the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) in the near future, amid rumours that Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Abang Openg will make an announcement on Friday.
There is also speculation that the announcement could be made today, coinciding with the final day of the second meeting of the fifth session of the 19th Sarawak DUN.
However, the decision to dissolve the DUN to pave the way for the 13th Sarawak election rests with the Sarawak Premier.
Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah previously said the election could be held in December, with Dec 12 or 19 among the dates considered suitable.
The Sarawak DUN currently has 82 seats, making it the largest state legislative assembly in the country. The number is expected to increase to 99 following the Election Commission's (EC) approval of 17 new constituencies, which had been approved by the Sarawak DUN.
The last Sarawak election was held on Dec 18, 2021, when Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) secured a landslide victory, winning 76 of the 82 seats contested.
Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) won four seats, while DAP secured two.
The four seats won by PSB were Bawang Assan, Engkilili, Ba'Kelalan and Batu Lintang.
However, the political composition of the DUN changed after PSB was dissolved. Three former PSB assemblymen — Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh (Bawang Assan), Dr Johnical Rayong Ngipa (Engkilili) and Baru Bian (Ba'Kelalan) — joined Parti Demokratik Progresif (PDP), one of GPS's component parties.
Another former PSB assemblyman, See Chee How, who represented Batu Lintang, left the party and is now an independent assemblyman.
These developments have left GPS with 80 of the 82 DUN seats, while the remaining two are held by DAP in Padungan and Pending.
The first DUN sitting after the 2021 election was held on Feb 14, 2022, meaning the current assembly's five-year term ends in February 2027.
The Sarawak State Constitution provides for a state election to be held within 60 days of the DUN's dissolution.
If the DUN is dissolved in the near future, the EC will set the nomination and polling dates for the 13th Sarawak election.
The election is expected to be a significant test of GPS's mandate under Abang Johari, who has led Sarawak since Jan 13, 2017. He was appointed the state's sixth chief minister following the death of his predecessor, Tan Sri Adenan Satem, on Jan 11, 2017.
Attention will also be on GPS's election strategy, particularly its candidate selection and seat allocation among component parties.
With GPS currently holding the vast majority of DUN seats, the contest is expected to focus on defending its existing seats and challenging opposition and independent representatives.
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