KUCHING: The position of Sarawak and Sabah in the federation should not be disregarded in efforts to form a new federal government, said Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Youth Central vice-chairman Kelvin Hii.
He said a recent assessment by Malaysian independent pollster Ilham Centre showed that if Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) cooperate in the next general election, they could potentially form the federal government with 122 parliamentary seats without relying on Sarawak’s 31 seats or Sabah’s 25 seats.
“This projection serves as a reminder that the rights and position of Sarawak and Sabah within Malaysia must be taken seriously.
“There should never be a situation where a federal government can disregard Sarawak and Sabah simply because their support is no longer required to form a government,” he said in a statement today.
Hii stressed that the Borneo states should collectively hold at least 35 per cent of the seats in Parliament to ensure that constitutional amendments affecting the rights and interests of both territories cannot be decided solely by representatives from Malaya.
“Unfortunately, Sarawak and Sabah currently hold only 56 of the 222 parliamentary seats, representing approximately 25 per cent of the total.
“The latest assessment therefore serves as another wake-up call that this imbalance must be addressed and the rights that rightfully belong to East Malaysia must be restored,” he said.
Hii noted that parliamentary representation should have been fairly redistributed among Sarawak, Sabah and Malaya in accordance with the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) following Singapore’s separation in 1965, with Sarawak and Sabah receiving additional parliamentary seats.
“The 15 seats previously held by Singapore were not subsequently redistributed to Sarawak and Sabah, resulting in both territories gradually losing the level of constitutional balance they originally possessed,” he added.
Moreover, Hii said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg had repeatedly called for the restoration of 35 per cent parliamentary representation for Sarawak and Sabah.
“This is not merely for the sake of increasing political seats, but to safeguard our constitutional role as an effective check and balance within Parliament.
“Increasing the number of Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) seats is an important first step.
“However, since the DUN approved an increase from 82 to 99 seats last year, the matter remains under the consideration of the Election Commission (EC) and has yet to be tabled in Parliament.
“There is therefore a strong possibility that the process may not be completed before the next Sarawak State Election (PRN),” he said.
Hii warned that if Malaya-based parties become dominant in forming a federal government, Sarawak and Sabah could lose significant influence over decisions made in Parliament.
He said it could become increasingly difficult for Sarawakians and Sabahans to defend their rights or challenge policies considered unfair to their respective territories.
“While ordinary citizens do not directly determine the number of parliamentary seats allocated to Sarawak and Sabah, they can determine who represents them.
“Hence, I call on Sarawakians to remain united in the next general election and support Sarawak-based local parties rather than Malaya-based political parties, in order to maximise the protection of Sarawak’s rights and interests,” he said.
