KUCHING: Sarawak’s intention to table a Bill proposing an increase in its elected assembly members is not just about numbers but signals a bigger development, with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim expected to act on restoring one-third parliamentary representation for the two Borneo states.
In stating this, political analyst Prof. James Chin said the number of state seats itself may not be the main issue but rather what it represents – an anticipation of the federal government’s move to restore one-third parliamentary seats to Sabah and Sarawak.
“What is important is that it looks like PMX (Anwar Ibrahim) is going to move with the one-third seats in the Dewan Rakyat for Sabah and Sarawak,” he told Sarawak Tribune today.
The professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania, Australia said Anwar, now with a two-thirds majority, has the capacity to push through the matter, possibly before the next general election.
“This one-third seat representation is what I would consider one of the core guarantees Sabah and Sarawak received prior to the formation of Malaysia.
“If PMX can deliver this, it would be a profound change in Malaysia’s constitutional history,” he said.
Chin said Sarawak is expected to pass the state-level Bill with ease, given Gabungan Parti Sarawak’s (GPS) dominant majority.
“But if they pass it at the federal-level and that both Sabah and Sarawak do get the additional seats, this means we are one step closer not only to achieve the original goals of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), but also play a greater role in moderating national politics,” he said.
He also said GPS would be stronger if it manages to deliver one-third parliamentary representation.
“If the state ruling party can deliver the one-third seats in the Dewan Rakyat, this means that they have delivered one of the two key promises in the MA63.
“One is the change in constitution which recognises the Agreement, which they’ve done, and secondly to deliver this one-third seats representation.
“This would mean that they are virtually… it would be impossible to beat GPS in the next state election,” he said.
Chin said the logical next step following the increase of state seats would be a corresponding increase in parliamentary seats.
“In fact, the re-delineation exercise for the parliamentary seats in Sarawak was completed in December last year.
“So, they can increase it if they want to, but it’s up to the parliamentary level,” he said.
On the creation of more state seats in Sarawak, Chin was of the view that the increase could make it more difficult for any opposition to unseat the current state government.
“With more seats, the opposition would need to win many more constituencies before they can overturn the government,” he said.
Meanwhile, the special DUN sitting on July 7 will table the Dewan Undangan Negeri (Composition of Membership) Bill 2025, which proposes increasing the number of elected representatives in the state assembly.
The exact number of additional seats will be announced during the sitting.
Currently, Sarawak has 82 elected members.
