Sabah, Sarawak to get bigger share of Parliament seats, Anwar says as MA63 push moves ahead

KOTA KINABALU, Sept 11 — Sabah and Sarawak will get a higher proportion of parliamentary representation under a Cabinet decision in principle to increase the number of seats for the two Borneo states, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced today.

Anwar said the Cabinet had agreed to increase the number of parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak, although the exact number and mechanism had yet to be determined. 

He stressed that any increase must also raise the proportion of seats held by the two states to reflect the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

“An increase in the number of seats can be misleading. An increase does not necessarily mean that the ratio will improve; it could simply mean equalising the numbers.

“So the increase must be accompanied by an increase in the proportion of representation for Sabah and Sarawak,” he said in a press conference after chairing the committee meeting for the implementation of the MA63 with Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg present.

Anwar added that there could also be an increase in seats for peninsular Malaysia.

He said the Cabinet made the decision last Wednesday and the Election Commission had been informed to begin discussions on the mechanism and number of additional seats.

Representatives from the two states would subsequently negotiate with political parties from peninsular Malaysia on the details, Anwar said.

Under the original Malaysia Agreement 1963, when Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak and Malaya formed the Federation, the three territories collectively held one-third of the parliamentary seats to prevent Malaya from unilaterally securing the two-thirds majority required to amend the Federal Constitution.

That proportion was reduced after Singapore left the federation in 1965. Of the 222 parliamentary seats today, Sabah has 25 and Sarawak 31, giving the two states a combined 25 per cent of the total compared with 75 per cent for peninsular Malaysia.

Sabah and Sarawak have been seeking a minimum one-third, or 33 per cent, share of parliamentary representation, which would require about 18 additional seats.

“So now we need to look at the mechanism. The principle is that there must be an increase that raises the proportion of representation. We have agreed to that. But the details and mechanics will be discussed with the Election Commission and the various states and political parties,” Anwar said.

Asked whether the increased representation could be implemented before the next general election, Anwar said he was uncertain whether there would be sufficient time.

“I am not certain whether there will be sufficient time because we have to follow the process. I do not want to interfere with the constitutional process. But the important thing is that the decision has been made and the Election Commission has been informed,” he said.

Meanwhile, Anwar said the government was expediting the appointment of more Sabah- and Sarawak-born Malaysians to key government positions, another matter he said was recognised under MA63.

He said the first phase had already been implemented, while the second phase would be expedited.

Anwar described MA63 as a national commitment rather than an issue concerning only Sabah and Sarawak.

“I had proposed that discussions on MA63 be made part of the national narrative. This is very important because otherwise it becomes a sectoral matter that we have to discuss separately every year.

“It is a national commitment about development, stability, and the commitments we made at independence, Malaya in 1957 and Malaysia in 1963,” he said.

He said the issue should be viewed as part of efforts to strengthen Malaysia as a whole, rather than through the lens of race, political parties or regional interests.