Kuching: A bill to increase the number of Sarawak Cabinet members through an amendment to the State Constitution will be tabled at the State Legislative Assembly sitting next week. State Legislative Assembly Speaker Tan Sri Mohamad Asfia Awang Nasar stated that the move is necessary due to the state’s rapidly expanding administrative responsibilities and the need for more focused portfolio management.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Constitution of the State of Sarawak (Amendment) Bill 2025 will be tabled by State Tourism, Creative Industry, Performing Arts, Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah during the sitting, which will run from Nov 24 to Dec 3. Mohamad Asfia highlighted that the Cabinet’s increasing responsibilities require more ministers, as some currently manage multiple portfolios, resulting in lengthy winding-up speeches.
Mohamad Asfia also mentioned that enlarging the Cabinet is timely following the increase in the number of state assemblymen in the previous sitting. The composition of the assembly members was increased from 82 to 99, prompting the need to expand the Cabinet. He assured that the expansion would not affect the positions of deputy ministers.
While acknowledging potential objections to the Cabinet’s enlargement, Mohamad Asfia emphasized that Sarawak requires a stronger administrative structure to align with its political and economic goals. He stated that legal considerations must yield to political realities, as the state’s ambitions necessitate enhanced governance capacity.
He further elaborated on the rising expectations from the people, with Sarawak aiming to become the premier region in Malaysia and a key energy player in ASEAN by 2030. This vision underscores the necessity to expand the State Cabinet to meet these targets.
In addition to the Cabinet expansion bill, other bills to be tabled during the sitting include the Supply (2026) Bill, Supplementary Supply (2025) Bill, Building (Amendment) Bill, and the Sustainable Resources and Wastes Management Bill 2025, alongside the Sarawak Budget 2026.