KUCHING: Sarawak will never compromise on its rights, especially in pursuing the restoration of Sarawak and Sabah’s rightful share of parliamentary seats.
Having said this, Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department for Law, MA63 and State-Federal Relations, Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali, added that discussions with the federal government are ongoing as part of a continuous and necessary engagement process.
“We defend our rights and will continue to fight for our rights.
“But that does not mean that we cannot engage with the person that we want to talk with. So engagement is important. This is part of the process.
“This is a process. The process might take a while, but I want to ensure that we will never compromise on our rights for the 35 per cent parliamentary seats,” she told reporters after officiating the handing over of school uniform ceremony to Yayasan Kemajuan Insan Sarawak (YAKIN) students at Wisma Adenan, Yayasan Sarawak here today.
She noted that while no deadline has been set for these discussions, ongoing engagement is crucial for reaching a mutually beneficial solution.
“We want it to be amicable. We want it to be the best for everybody, for Malaysia and for Sarawak,” she added.
Previously, in response to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Hasidah said that the allocation of parliamentary seats is not solely about representation but also intrinsically linked to preserving constitutional safeguards.
She said while Sarawak welcomes the continuation of constructive dialogue on this issue, it is essential to recognise that parliamentary representation is not merely a matter of political negotiation.
