KUCHING: The federal government was urged to immediately table a bill in the Dewan Rakyat to increase parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak, arguing that the move is essential to honour the original terms of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
Persatuan Intelektual Pribumi Sarawak (PERANTIS) adviser, Wellie Henry Majang said at least 29 additional parliamentary seats must be created for both Borneo states to reinstate the one-third seat ratio that existed prior to Singapore’s separation from Malaysia in 1965.
“Without Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia would not exist. MA63 is the foundation of this nation, and those rights must be restored,” he said in a statement released today (Mar 7).
He acknowledged the gazetting of the Constitution (Amendment) Act 2022 – which formally recognised MA63 within the Federal Constitution for the first time – as a landmark achievement, but warned the recognition remains hollow without concrete follow-through legislation.
He also cautioned that without restoring the one-third parliamentary ratio, constitutional amendments requiring a two-thirds majority could be passed without adequately safeguarding the interests of Sabah and Sarawak, undermining the founding spirit of the federation.
The statement invoked the recent royal address of His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong XVII Sultan Ibrahim at the Opening of the 15th Parliament’s Fifth Session, in which the King affirmed that Malaysia’s formation is rooted in MA63.
Wellie described the royal address as a clear reminder that Malaysia was built on equal partnership between Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak – not a hierarchical centre-state relationship.
He also noted that Sabah and Sarawak have evolved beyond being peripheral players in national politics, now serving as key determinants of political stability through the influence of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).
Wellie stressed that the recognition of both territories in the Federal Constitution must be accompanied by a fairer distribution of federal power and balanced development allocations across Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak.
He argued that the addition of parliamentary seats is not political rhetoric, but an urgent necessity to restore rights that have been eroded for decades.
He called on Putrajaya to treat the tabling of the Bill as a matter of urgency, framing it as a long-overdue correction of a historical imbalance rather than political posturing.
“Sarawak’s demands are not aimed at seizing anyone’s rights, but to reclaim what was agreed upon and enshrined since 1963,” he said.
He concluded that Malaysia today requires a new balance between the Borneo territories and the Peninsula to ensure lasting political stability and the overall progress of the nation.
