KOTA KINABALU: Liberal Democratic Party vice-president David Ong has urged the Sabah government to review and increase the number of seats in the State Legislative Assembly, following Sarawak’s move to pursue additional seats currently under review by the Election Commission.
He noted that Sabah last carried out a delineation exercise in 2017, increasing seats from 60 to 73, and under the Federal Constitution the state is now eligible to begin another review after eight years.
Advertisement
Ong said growing voter populations in several constituencies make it harder for elected representatives to serve their communities effectively, adding that increasing seats would ensure more balanced representation.
He also stressed the need to increase parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak to move closer to one-third representation in Parliament, in line with the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
“This principle is closely tied to the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963, which envisioned Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners in the federation,” he said.
Ong added that the federal government should work with the Election Commission and the Sabah government to facilitate the process.
“Reviewing and increasing both state and parliamentary seats is not merely about numbers — it is about ensuring that Sabahans have fair representation and a stronger voice in the governance of the nation,” he said.
