Sarawak State Legislative Assembly

Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Malay: Dewan Undangan Negeri Sarawak
18th Sarawak State Legislative Assembly
Type
Type	Unicameral
History
Founded	8 September 1867
Leadership
Yang di-Pertua Negeri	Abdul Taib Mahmud Since 1 March 2014
Speaker	Mohamad Asfia Awang Nasar, BN–PBB Since 15 November 2000
Deputy Speaker	Gerawat Gala, BN–PBB Since 19 May 2016
Chief Minister	Abang Johari Openg, BN–PBB Since 13 January 2017
Opposition Leader	Chong Chieng Jen, PH–DAP Since 10 June 2013
Structure
Seats	82 Quorum: 28 Simple majority: 42 Two-thirds majority: 55
Political groups	(As of 8 May 2016[update]) Government      Barisan Nasional (71) Ministers: 9 Assistant ministers: 18 Backbenchers: 44      PBB (38)      PRS (11) Others (11)      SUPP (7)      SPDP (4) Opposition      Pakatan Harapan (10)      DAP (7)      PKR (3)      Vacant (1)
Committees	6 Rules of Proceedings and Elections Committee Public Accounts Committee Assembly Committee Public Petitions Committee Privileges Committee DUN Events Committee
Elections
Voting system	Plurality: First-past-the-post (82 single-member constituencies)
Last election	7 May 2016
Next election	on or before 7 September 2021
Meeting place
New Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building, Petra Jaya, Kuching, Sarawak
Website
www.dun.sarawak.gov.my

(As of 8 May 2016^[update])
Government
     Barisan Nasional (71)

Opposition
     Pakatan Harapan (10)

The Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (Malay: Dewan Undangan Negeri Sarawak) is the state legislature of the Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is a unicameral institution consisting of 71 members elected from single-member constituencies throughout the state. Elections are held no more than five years apart

The State Legislative Assembly convenes at the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building in the state capital, Kuching.

The first legislative assembly in Sarawak was formed during the rule of the White Rajahs. The General Council (Majlis Umum) of the Kingdom of Sarawak was convened on 8 September 1867 by Charles Brooke, the Rajah Muda under the orders of James Brooke, then the Rajah of Sarawak. Its members were chosen from local tribe leaders who were thought to be capable of assisting Brooke in administering the kingdom. The General Council later evolved into the Council Negri in 1903. The Council Negri first met in Bintulu.

It continued to function even after Sarawak was ceded to the British Empire in 1946. Since 1963, when Sarawak joined with Malaya, Singapore and North Borneo (now known as Sabah) to form the Federation of Malaysia, in line with the federal and state constitutions, members of the Assembly have been elected representatives.