KUCHING, August 23 2026 — The decision to bring forward the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting from November to October should not be interpreted as a signal that the state election will be held in November, said Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) information chief Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
He said the Sarawak Assembly normally sits at least twice a year, making a change in the sitting date nothing unusual.
Abdul Karim said the October sitting could be held following the tabling of the national Budget and should not necessarily be linked to speculation over the timing of the state election.
He stressed that the decision to dissolve the Sarawak Assembly and determine the election date remains the prerogative of Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Abdul Karim also said the use of the newly approved 99-seat state assembly for the upcoming election could face time constraints if the polls are to be held before the end of the year.
He said the Election Commission (EC) would first need to undertake the redelineation process, including displaying its proposed electoral boundaries for a specified period before proceeding with subsequent steps.
According to him, the process could take at least three months, raising questions over whether the 99-seat assembly could be implemented in time for the next state election.
The Bill to increase the number of Sarawak state seats from 82 to 99 was previously passed with near-unanimous support and will now have to go through the subsequent processes involving the EC and Parliament.
