KUCHING: The proposed increase in the number of members of the Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri (MMKN) under the Sarawak State Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2025 ensures governance depth and future-proofs policy delivery structure in line with the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.

Pelagus Assemblyman Wilson Nyabong Ijang said, as the Sarawak Government pursues the PCDS 2030 vision of becoming a high-income and developed region, this proposed amendment is becoming increasingly necessary.

“We are no longer confined to conventional development functions, like roads and utilities. We are now at the forefront of the digital economy transformation, green energy development, high-value industrial activities and foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction, autonomy under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), and sustainability governance aligned with global climate frameworks.

“Secondly, Sarawak Cabinet Ministers are overburdened. Many ministers hold two or more portfolios, covering vastly different sectors which is unsustainable. It weakens policy focus, slows implementation and dilutes accountability,” he stressed.

He said this when debating the Sarawak State Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2025 at the 19th Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) Sitting on Monday.

Wilson added that the workload for state representatives has intensified, and with the number of state constituencies being expanded to 99, more Assemblymen are able to raise issues, proposals and demands requiring Cabinet response.

“A ten-member Cabinet, as currently limited by the Constitution, is no longer adequate to handle this evolving complexity.

“We must equip ourselves with the right tools, the right talent and the right institutional structure. That begins with a Cabinet that is modern, proportionate and fit-for-purpose,” he said. -UKASnews