KUCHING: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s agreement in principle to increase parliamentary seats for Sarawak and Sabah must now be followed by concrete action, says state minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
The Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister and Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) information chief, said Putrajaya must ensure the proposal did not remain merely a statement of intent.
“The Prime Minister’s views must be followed through with concrete action.
“Efforts must be made to address this and finally give Sabahans and Sarawakians the hope that this is not merely the Prime Minister’s view, but something that will actually be implemented,” he said in a statement today.
Earlier on Friday, Anwar said the Federal Constitution would be amended to allow for an increase in parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak in accordance with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
He said the increase was necessary to ensure greater representation for the two states in Parliament, although no specific number of additional seats had been determined.
Abdul Karim said Anwar’s position reflected the spirit behind the formation of Malaysia in 1963 and the safeguards agreed upon by Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore, including the parliamentary representation arrangement involving the three territories.
When Malaysia was formed in 1963, Malaya had 105 of the 160 seats in the Dewan Rakyat, while Sarawak had 24, Sabah 16 and Singapore 15.
This arrangement prevented Malaya from holding the two thirds majority required to amend the Federal Constitution.
Following Singapore’s departure from Malaysia, however, its 15 seats were not redistributed to Sabah and Sarawak, resulting in the two Borneo states losing their proportionate representation.
Sabah currently has 25 parliamentary seats while Sarawak has 31, giving the two states a combined 56 of the 222 seats in the Dewan Rakyat, or 25.2 per cent.
This is 18 seats short of the 74 seats needed to make up one third of the Dewan Rakyat.
Abdul Karim said previous leaders had brushed aside the issue, arguing that the arrangement had never been formally written or specifically stated in the Federal Constitution.
He welcomed Anwar’s position, saying it showed an understanding of the historical basis for Sabah and Sarawak’s representation in the Federation.
“Thank you, Anwar, for being able to understand what many MPs from West Malaysia, as well as prime ministers before you, could not see or chose not to see,” he said.
