1996 Sarawak state election

1996 Sarawak state election

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All 62 seats in the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly 32 seats needed for a majority
Registered	580,543
Turnout	372,602 (64.18%)
Majority party Minority party   Leader Abdul Taib Mahmud Wong Sing Nang Party BN DAP Leader since 26 March 1981 (1981-03-26) Unknown Leader's seat Asajaya Pelawan Last election 49 seats, 62.8% 0 seat, 9.7% Seats before 56 0 Seats won 57 3 Seat change 1 3 Popular vote 242,839 32,421 Percentage 67.7% 9.0% Swing 4.9% 0.6%
Chief Minister before election Abdul Taib Mahmud BN Subsequent chief minister Abdul Taib Mahmud BN

The seventh Sarawak state election was held between Saturday, 7 September and Sunday, 8 September 1996 with nomination date on Tuesday, 27 August 1996. The Sarawak State Assembly was dissolved on 15 August 1996 before its expiration on 28 November 1996. There were 62 seats available but only 43 were contested on the election day. This election saw 580,543 registered voters of contested constituencies with 64.18% voters turned up to cast their votes. ^[1]

Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) which was consisting of Sarawak United Peoples' Party (SUPP), Sarawak National Party (SNAP), Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), and Sarawak Dayak People's Party (PBDS) fielded candidates for all 62 seats, followed by Democratic Action Party (DAP) fielding 6 candidates, while there were 60 independents jostling for 38 state seats in Sarawak. A total of 128 candidates was successfully nominated on the nomination day. PBDS which was an opposition party back in 1991 election, was re-accepted into Sarawak BN in 1994. ^[1]

Results

Summary

Party or alliance				Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Barisan Nasional		Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu	93,795	25.73	29	+2
			Sarawak United Peoples' Party	109,785	30.11	13	–3
			Sarawak National Party	17,285	4.74	7	+1
			Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak	21,974	6.03	8	+1
		Total		242,839	66.61	57	+1
	Democratic Action Party			32,421	8.89	3	+3
	Independents			89,294	24.49	2	+2
Total				364,554	100.00	62	+6
Valid votes				364,554	97.84
Invalid/blank votes				8,048	2.16
Total votes				372,602	100.00
Registered voters/turnout				580,543	64.18
Source: [2] [3]

The above registered voter count represents total electorate of contested constituencies. Total electorate for Sarawak 1996 is 814347 where this includes 19 uncontested seats. ^[4]

Results by constituency

There were 19 seats won uncontested by Sarawak BN on the nomination day. On the polling day, Sarawak BN won 38 out of 43 seats contested, thus made up to a total of 57 seats. DAP had made the first breakthrough by winning 3 seats as compared to previous state elections where the party returned empty handed. The remaining two seats were won by independents. ^[1] Wong Soon Kai, the then deputy chief minister of Sarawak was defeated by Wong Ho Leng from DAP in the state constituency of Bukit Assek. ^{[5] [6]}

A total of 5 election petitions was filed to the Sarawak high court after the election:

Petition for N08 Padungan was filed by an independent candidate
Petition for N22 Bukit Begunan was filed by an independent candidate
Petition for N45 Balingian was filed by an independent candidate
Petition for N52 Kemena was filed by DAP
Petition for N53 Kidurong was filed by BN

The list of elected representatives is listed below: ^{[7] [8]}

No.	State Constituency	Elected state assembly members	Elected party
BN 57 | DAP 3 | IND 2
N01	Tanjung Datu	Datuk Ramsay Noel Jitam	BN (SUPP)
N02	Tasik Biru	Peter Nansian Anak Ngusie	BN (SNAP)
N03	Pantai Damai	Datin Paduka Sharifah Mordiah Tuanku Fauzi [a]	BN (PBB)
N04	Demak Laut	Dr Abang Draup Zamahari Pengirang Zen	BN (PBB)
N05	Tupong	Daud Abdul Rahman	BN (PBB)
N06	Satok	Datuk Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari bin Tun Abang Haji Openg	BN (PBB)
N07	Samariang	Dona Babel	BN (PBB)
N08	Padungan	Datuk Song Swee Guan	BN (SUPP)
N09	Pending	Sim Kheng Hui	BN (SUPP)
N10	Batu Lintang	Chan Seng Khai	BN (SUPP)
N11	Batu Kawah	Alfred Yap Chin Loi	BN (SUPP)
N12	Asajaya	Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud [a]	BN (PBB)
N13	Muara Tuang	Datuk Adenan Satem [a]	BN (PBB)
N14	Bengoh	William Tanyuh	BN (SUPP)
N15	Tarat	Roland Sagah Wee Inn [a]	BN (PBB)
N16	Tebedu	Michael Manyin Anak Jawong	BN (PBB)
N17	Kedup	Federick Bayoi Manggie	BN (PBB)
N18	Sadong Jaya	Wan Abdul Wahab Wan Sanusi	BN (PBB)
N19	Simunjan	Mohamad Naroden Majais	BN (PBB)
N20	Sebuyau	Julaihi Narawi [a]	BN (PBB)
N21	Betting Maro	Bolhassan Di	BN (PBB)
N22	Bukit Begunan	Mong Ak Dagang	BN (PBDS)
N23	Simanggang	Francis Harden Anak Hollis	BN (SUPP)
N24	Engkilili	Toh Heng San	BN (SUPP)
N25	Batang Ai	Dublin Unting Ingkot	BN (PBDS)
N26	Saribas	Dr Haji Wahbi Bin Haji Junaidi	BN (PBB)
N27	Layar	Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Anak Numpang [a]	BN (PBB)
N28	Kalaka	Abdul Wahab Aziz [a]	BN (PBB)
N29	Krian	Peter Nyarok Entire	BN (SNAP)
N30	Belawai	Haji Hamden Ahmad [a]	BN (PBB)
N31	Serdeng	Datuk Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar	BN (PBB)
N32	Matu Daro	Datuk Abdul Wahab Dolah	BN (PBB)
N33	Meradong	Yii Chu Lik	IND
N34	Repok	Datuk David Teng Lung Chi [a]	BN (SUPP)
N35	Pakan	Datuk William Mawan Anak Ikom	BN (SNAP)
N36	Meluan	Geman Anak Itam	BN (SNAP)
N37	Ngemah	Gabriel Adit Demong	BN (PBDS)
N38	Machan	Datuk Gramong Juna	BN (PBB)
N39	Bukit Assek	Wong Ho Leng	DAP
N40	Dudong	Dr Soon Choon Teck [a]	BN (SUPP)
N41	Bawang Assan	Datuk Wong Soon Koh	BN (SUPP)
N42	Pelawan	Wong Sing Nang	DAP
N43	Nangka	Awang Bemee Awang Ali Basah [a]	BN (PBB)
N44	Dalat	Datuk Effendi Norwawi	BN (PBB)
N45	Balingian	Abdul Ajis Abdul Majeed	BN (PBB)
N46	Tamin	Joseph Entulu Belaun	BN (PBDS)
N47	Kakus	John Sikie Tayai [a]	BN (PBDS)
N48	Pelagus	Datuk Sng Chee Hua [a]	BN (PBDS)
N49	Katibas	Ambrose Blikau Enturan [a]	BN (PBB)
N50	Baleh	Datuk Dr James Jemut Masing	BN (PBDS)
N51	Belaga	Stanley Ajang Batok	BN (SNAP)
N52	Kemena	Celestine Ujang Anak Jilan [a]	BN (PBB)
N53	Kidurong	Wong Sing Ai	DAP
N54	Jepak	Talib Bin Zulpilip	BN (PBB)
N55	Lambir	T E Aidan Wing	BN (PBB)
N56	Piasau	Datuk Dr George Chan Hong Nam	BN (SUPP)
N57	Senadin	Lee Kim Shin	BN (SUPP)
N58	Marudi	Sylvester Entri Anak Muran [a]	BN (SNAP)
N59	Telang Usan	Kebing Wan	IND
N60	Limbang	Datuk Amar James Wong Kim Min [a]	BN (SNAP)
N61	Lawas	Datuk Awang Tengah Ali Hasan [a]	BN (PBB)
N62	Ba'kelalan	Dr Judson Sakai Tagal [a]	BN (SNAP)

Notes

1. Won uncontested

References

1. Report on the state legislative assembly general elections for Sarawak, 1996 (Malay-English bilingual version). Election Commission of Malaysia. URL accessed on 19 November 2009
2. Hazis, Faisal S. (2012). Domination and Contestation: Muslim Bumiputera Politics in Sarawak. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. p. 297. ISBN   978-981-4311-58-8.
3. {https://github.com/TindakMalaysia/HISTORICAL-ELECTION-RESULTS/blob/main/1996-SARAWAK-STATE-ELECTIONS/SARAWAK_1996_DUN_RESULTS.csv}
4. TindakMalaysia. "HISTORICAL-ELECTION-RESULTS/1996-SARAWAK-STATE-ELECTIONS/SARAWAK_1996_DUN_RESULTS.csv at main · TindakMalaysia/HISTORICAL-ELECTION-RESULTS". GitHub. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
5. Chin, James (February 1997). "Malaysia in 1996: Mahathir-Anwar Bouts, UMNO Election, and Sarawak Surprise" . A Survey of Asia in 1996: Part II. 37 (2): 181–187. doi:10.2307/2645486. JSTOR   2645486 . Retrieved 19 June 2022.
6. Ting, Alan (14 April 2010). "Sibu By-Election To See "Battle of the Mighty Rejang"". Bernama . Bernama. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
7. "Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum Parlimen/Dewan Undangan Negeri (in Malay)". Election Commission of Malaysia. Archived from the original on 6 September 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
8. TindakMalaysia. "HISTORICAL-ELECTION-RESULTS/1996-SARAWAK-STATE-ELECTIONS/SARAWAK_1996_DUN_WINNING_CANDIDATES.csv at main · TindakMalaysia/HISTORICAL-ELECTION-RESULTS". GitHub. Retrieved 31 October 2025.