KUCHING: Sabah and Sarawak could see their combined share of parliamentary representation rise from the current 25 per cent to between 28 and 30 per cent following the federal government’s decision in principle to increase their number of seats.
Political analyst Professor James Chin said the long-sought 35 per cent representation for the two states was unlikely to be achieved, although he expected a significant increase.
“My own take is that we will not get the 35 per cent. It will be slightly less than 35 per cent.
“But there will be a significant increase. So right now, Sabah and Sarawak is 25 per cent. We might get up to 28, 29 per cent,” he said in an interview with Sarawak Tribune.
His comments followed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement that the Cabinet had agreed in principle to increase Sabah and Sarawak’s parliamentary representation, with the Election Commission (EC) to begin consultations on the mechanism.
Anwar said the increase should involve both additional parliamentary seats and a higher ratio of representation for Sabah and Sarawak.
Prof Chin said the increase in parliamentary seats would not necessarily be confined to Sabah and Sarawak, as several large states in Peninsular Malaysia could also see their representation increased.
“In terms of increasing the seats, it will not be specific to Sabah and Sarawak. Any big increase will include other states.”
On whether the move reflected the original spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), Chin said the absence of a specific reference to the 35 per cent figure in Anwar’s announcement was significant.
“The fact that Anwar did not mention the 35 per cent means that it doesn’t go to the original spirit of MA63, which is 34.5 per cent.”
Nevertheless, Prof Chin said achieving 29 or 30 per cent would still represent a major achievement for Sabah and Sarawak.
“If we can get up to 29 or 30 per cent, I think that will be a major, major achievement on the part of the Sabah and Sarawak state governments.”
He also said there were no major constitutional obstacles to increasing the number of parliamentary seats, describing the process as largely procedural.
He said the eight year requirement between electoral reviews had already been met, meaning the EC could proceed with the necessary process.
The process would involve the EC reviewing the boundaries, holding public hearings, considering feedback and publishing its findings before the proposal is brought before Parliament.
He said the process could take at least four to six months and estimated that, if pushed through, the earliest implementation could be around June or July next year.
However, he said whether the increase could be completed before the next general election would depend largely on the political situation and Anwar remaining in office throughout the process.
The increase in representation, Prof Chin said, would give Sabah and Sarawak greater political strength and affect the balance of power in Parliament.
