The Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) today passed the Constitution of the State of Sarawak (Amendment) Bill, 2025, permitting the appointment of up to four additional members to the Sarawak Cabinet.
The bill received overwhelming bipartisan support, with 74 members voting in favour and only two opposing—assemblymen for Padungan and Pending. With a two-thirds majority requirement of 55 votes, the bill passed comfortably. A total of 23 members participated in the debate, with 21 expressing support and only two from the opposition raising objections.
The amendment, tabled by Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, responds to Sarawak’s growing administrative and governance demands following the increase in state constituencies from 82 to 99 under the Members of Sarawak Legislative Assembly (Composition of Members) Ordinance, 2025.
“With the expansion of constituencies and administrative areas, the current composition of the Sarawak Cabinet is no longer proportionate to the State’s evolving governance needs. Several Ministers are handling multiple portfolios, increasing their responsibilities and workload,” Abdul Karim told the House.
He added that increasing the number of Cabinet members is both reasonable and necessary to strengthen the State’s executive machinery, improve policy coordination, and ensure ministerial portfolios are distributed more evenly. “This will enable the Sarawak government to respond more effectively to the needs of the people and deliver services with greater focus across all sectors,” he said.
Under the existing constitutional framework, the Cabinet consists of the Premier and up to ten Ministers. With the amendment, Sarawak may now appoint up to 14 Ministers, allowing for more focused governance and enhanced service delivery.
Abdul Karim emphasised that the amendment falls entirely within Sarawak’s constitutional authority, citing Item 7 of the State List in the Ninth Schedule of the Federal Constitution. He said it reflects the government’s commitment to evolving its executive structure in line with the State’s growth and the aspirations of its people.
Addressing opposition criticisms regarding the Cabinet’s size and workload, Abdul Karim dismissed claims of excessive burden as unfounded. “Times have changed. Ministers and deputy ministers will not complain of being overworked. The last amendment was in 1995, and the situation today is very different,” he said.
He highlighted the increasing complexity of modern governance, with emerging issues such as renewable energy, hydrogen, the digital economy, spectrum management, and tourism requiring dedicated expertise and leadership. “We need more qualified ministers who are knowledgeable about these evolving sectors. The government has the capacity and resources to support this, benefiting both the administration and the opposition,” he added.
Abdul Karim also stressed the importance of leadership development, noting that future leaders will guide Sarawak forward. Responding to claims of an “overbloated” Cabinet, he pointed out that Sarawak, comparable in size to Peninsular Malaysia, is merely increasing its Cabinet from 10 to 14 members, which aligns with the structures of other states.
He concluded that the purpose of the Bill is clear: to ensure that Sarawak’s governance and administrative system remains strong, stable, and capable of driving the State to greater heights.
