KUCHING: Sarawak wants clarity on how the federal government’s in-principle decision to increase parliamentary representation for Sabah and Sarawak will be translated into action, said Datuk Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman.
The Chief Political Secretary to the Premier said the Election Commission’s (EC) clarification that there was currently no proposal to increase Sarawak’s parliamentary constituencies was duly noted, but the issue should be viewed in the wider context of the federal government’s earlier position.
Fazzrudin, who is also Tupong assemblyman, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had publicly announced that the federal government had agreed in principle to increase the proportion of parliamentary representation for Sabah and Sarawak, with the mechanism and details to be discussed with the EC.
“The EC itself subsequently acknowledged the Prime Minister’s announcement and indicated that the relevant electoral boundary review would be undertaken subject to the necessary constitutional amendments,” he said.
He also pointed to engagement between the Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Division and the EC on the direction and implementation mechanism of the proposal.
“Therefore, naturally, people in Sabah and Sarawak are expecting to know what comes next,” he said.
Fazzrudin said the issue was not whether specific figures or constituencies reported by the media were accurate.
“If those details are incorrect, then it is entirely proper for the EC to correct them,” he said.
“But the bigger question is how the federal government’s decision in principle to increase Sabah and Sarawak’s parliamentary representation will now be translated into action.”
The EC recently said there was currently no proposal to increase the number of parliamentary constituencies in Sarawak, dismissing a local Malay-language newspaper report linking the matter to discussions on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
EC’s Secretary, Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus said the commission had only prepared recommendations for the Seventh Sarawak Electoral Constituency Redelineation Review, which were being displayed publicly throughout September.
The newspaper had reported that Sarawak’s parliamentary constituencies could increase from 31 to 46, citing a purported document.
Fazzrudin said Sarawak would welcome greater clarity on the process, necessary constitutional amendments, the EC’s role and the expected sequence of implementation.
He said stronger parliamentary representation for Sabah and Sarawak remained consistent with the historical context of Malaysia’s formation and the need to safeguard the interests of the Borneo states within the Federation.
The EC had earlier said its current Sarawak redelineation recommendations made no change to the number of federal constituencies, while proposing 17 additional state seats.
