Kota Kinabalu: The Madani Government has agreed, in principle, to increase the number of parliamentary seats in Sabah and Sarawak ahead of the next general election.
Responding to a Daily Express question, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said such moves would, however, not fulfil the aspired quota of one-third as sought by both State leaders.
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“The demand for Sabah and Sarawak to regain one-third representation in Parliament, as provided under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), still requires detailed scrutiny due to differing interpretations — including whether Singapore’s former membership to form Malaysia should be factored in.
“There are different interpretations in which some in Sabah and Sarawak say it forms part of MA63… which then includes Singapore,” he told Sabah Media practitioners during a breakfast session, Sunday.
The one-third quota issue has been referred to the Sabah and Sarawak Attorneys-General, as well as the Attorney-General of Malaysia, for legal examination before any final decision.
Actually, Anwar said, the Federal Government has already made a policy decision to add seats for both Sabah and Sarawak, subject to the Election Commission’s (EC) redelineation exercise.
“I have informed the meeting in Kuching, Sarawak during discussions with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Haji Noor and Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg, that as a policy, we will increase the seats — but it is up to the EC.”
Anwar said the re-delineation would not only involve Sabah and Sarawak, as several constituencies in Peninsular Malaysia now have voter populations as high as 380,000 per parliamentary seat, compared to large rural seats with far fewer voters.
He said the significant disparity between low-density and high-density constituencies requires review to ensure fairer representation.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof was reported as saying that discussions on restoring the one-third or 35pc parliamentary quota for Sabah and Sarawak must be held face-to-face, especially with MPs from Peninsular Malaysia, who currently hold 75pc of the 222 seats.
This means constitutional amendments requiring a two-thirds majority can pass without support or objection from Sabah and Sarawak representatives.
The most recent federal constituency redelineation exercise was conducted in 2006.
Currently, Sabah holds 25 seats while Sarawak has 31, representing a combined 25pc of total parliamentary seats.
The push for one-third representation stems from the historical context of MA63.
When Singapore was part of Malaysia, the Bornean states’ combined representation provided them with effective veto power over constitutional amendments.
However, after Singapore’s exit in 1965, its 15 seats were not redistributed to Sabah and Sarawak, resulting in the loss of this crucial bargaining power.
The addition of parliamentary seats represents a key component of the federal government’s efforts to honour MA63 and strengthen the partnership between Peninsular Malaysia and the East Malaysian states.
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