KOTA KINABALU: The Tambunan district unquestionably deserves thoughtful evaluation in any forthcoming electoral boundary reassessment, as articulated by Tambunan PGRS Coordinator, Dato’ Victor P. Paut.
He underscored that this encompasses a persuasive proposal for Tambunan to form one parliamentary constituency alongside two state assembly districts.
“This proposal is grounded in substantive evidence. It must be evaluated through the lens of population growth, voter registration numbers, geographical expanse, topographical characteristics, and the essential service and representation requirements of Tambunan’s communities,” he said in a statement today.
He asserted that according to the latest data from Malaysia’s Department of Statistics (DOSM), Tambunan district’s population is projected to rise significantly from 31,600 residents in 2020 to 33,700 residents by 2025.
“This expansion demonstrates that Tambunan’s population continues to grow substantially, and community needs are correspondingly increasing.
Regarding electoral matters, official Election Commission statistics as of June 2025 reveal that P.180 Keningau contains 92,756 registered voters. P.180 currently encompasses the Tambunan, Bingkor, and Liawan areas,” he further explained.
He further contended that these figures must be evaluated within the geographic context of Tambunan, a district characterized by scattered settlements and challenging mountainous terrain.
This situation, he emphasized, presents distinct obstacles regarding connectivity, government service delivery, and citizens’ access to their elected representatives.
“When establishing electoral boundaries, population and voter numbers alone cannot be the determining factor.
Considerations such as local connections, administrative efficiency, and transportation difficulties are equally significant in the boundary delimitation process.
“Therefore, I firmly believe Tambunan’s circumstances warrant comprehensive assessment rather than evaluation based solely on voter statistics,” he explained.
Tambunan possesses a unique district identity, extensive administrative territory, and communities facing distinctive local needs and challenges.
Given current population growth and voter numbers, the time has come to reassess Tambunan’s representation structure to better align with present conditions, he stated.
According to him, the proposal for one Parliament seat and two State Assembly seats for Tambunan could effectively ensure that area development, government service delivery, and community concerns receive closer and more impactful attention.
“I am not suggesting seat increases merely because population has grown.
Rather, I urge that current SPR and DOSM data alongside actual ground conditions be utilized in determining whether existing electoral boundaries remain appropriate for Tambunan’s development.”
“Tambunan should not be assessed purely by population figures, but equally by territorial expanse, terrain characteristics, settlement distribution, voter count, transportation accessibility, and community requirements.
“I therefore urge that when the electoral boundary review for Sabah’s constituencies is conducted in the future, Tambunan be given special consideration to be established as a single Parliamentary constituency with two State Assembly constituencies,” he added.
