One-third formula first, more seats later, Sabah and Sarawak politicians tell Putrajaya

KUCHING, Sept 27 — Putrajaya must first work out the one-third formula for Sabah and Sarawak representation in the Dewan Rakyat before adding any parliamentary seats.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said she and several Sarawak leaders, including in Cabinet, have raised the issue, but the focus had previously been more on state assembly seats.

“Speaking on voicing out in terms of (Parliamentary) seats, I am with Yang Berhormat Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi in Cabinet. How that one-third formula is to be created needs to be discussed together, in terms of legislation,” she said.

She said further discussions to determine a suitable method and measure must be held between the Sarawak premier, Sabah chief minister and the Federal Government.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the government had agreed in principle to increase the ratio of Sabah and Sarawak representation in the Dewan Rakyat, in line with the regions’ position in the formation of Malaysia through the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63). 

He said the decision was among the key matters agreed at the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council meeting.

Meanwhile, former Sabah Chief Minister Salleh Said Keruak called on Putrajaya to clarify how many additional parliamentary seats it intends to allocate to Sabah and Sarawak, and whether it is committed to one-third representation for the two states.

“More seats do not necessarily strengthen Sabah and Sarawak if seats in Peninsular Malaysia also increase and the overall ratio remains largely unchanged. The real issue, therefore, is not how many seats are added, but what proportion of parliamentary seats Sabah and Sarawak will ultimately hold,” he said.

Salleh, who is also the Sabah Umno treasurer, said the government should make clear whether its objective is to achieve one-third representation for Sabah and Sarawak or merely increase their number of seats. He noted that when Malaysia was formed in 1963, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore together held about one-third of the parliamentary seats.

Following Singapore’s departure in 1965, the question remained as to whether the “spirit and balance” behind Malaysia’s formation should still be reflected in Sabah and Sarawak’s representation.

“For Sabah and Sarawak, this is not simply about getting more seats. It is about whether their representation reflects the spirit and understanding upon which Malaysia was formed,” he said.

Earlier, the Election Commission denied a report claiming that there was a proposal to increase the number of parliamentary constituencies in Sarawak by 15. 

Based on the current 222 seats in Parliament, an additional 18 are required for Sabah and Sarawak to reach the one-third figure.

EC secretary Khairul Shahril Idrus said there are currently no proposals to increase the number of parliamentary constituencies in Sarawak, as claimed by the report, in connection with discussions on the Malaysia Agreement 1963. 

He said only the seventh Sarawak state constituency review and redelineation proposal had been prepared, and that it was currently on public display from Sept 1 to 30. — Daily Express