KUCHING: Sarawak and Sabah must each hold one-third of Malaysia’s parliamentary seats to ensure fairness, safeguard constitutional rights, and uphold the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
In stating this, Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) Senior Vice-President, Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh, called it “a rightful claim and the fulfilment of a promise”.
Wong argued that fair representation is critical to Malaysia’s stability and to restoring the equal partnership envisioned at the nation’s founding.
“This is not a demand. It is a rightful claim. It is not an act of favour. It is the fulfilment of a promise. For without fairness in representation, we cannot have fairness in equal partnership,” he said.
Wong said that Sarawak is no ordinary partner, pointing to its 124,448-square-kilometre landmass, almost the size of all eleven peninsula states combined.
“Sarawak joined Malaysia willingly as an equal partner, not as a subordinate region,” he said.
He highlighted the immense challenges faced by Sarawakian parliamentarians, many of whom represent constituencies larger than some entire states in Peninsular Malaysia.
For example, Hulu Rajang, which covers the state seats of Belaga and Murum, and Baram, which comprises Bekenu, Telang Usan and Marudi, are separated by mountainous terrain, vast river systems, dense forests and limited road networks.
“The challenges of connectivity, governance and service delivery are far greater than in the compact constituencies of urban Malaya. It is only fair that representation takes these geographical realities into account,” Wong explained.
Currently, Sarawak holds only 31 of 222 parliamentary seats, which is just 14 per cent.
Wong warned that such under-representation leaves Sarawak’s autonomy, natural resources and constitutional protections vulnerable to the will of the federal majority, contrary to the federation of equals envisaged in MA63.
“The founding fathers never intended for Sarawak and Sabah to be overwhelmed by Malaya’s numbers. Representation must be a solid shield for Sarawak, not a mere token,” he stressed.
Wong, who is also Bawang Assan Assemblyman, also noted Sarawak’s significant contributions to Malaysia’s growth, including oil and gas, timber and hydroelectric resources, which are not matched by its voice in parliament.
“To accord Sarawak one-third of the seats is not to grant privilege; it is to grant fairness,” he said.
Wong urged Putrajaya to treat the matter with utmost seriousness, emphasising that constitutional balance and national unity depend on fair representation.
He said that guaranteeing one-third of parliamentary seats for Sarawak and Sabah would restore the balance envisioned in 1963 and ensure that no fundamental constitutional changes can be made without their consent.
“If Malaysia is to remain stable and strong, it must remain fair, and if it is to remain fair, Sarawak must hold one-third of the seats in the Malaysian Parliament,” he added.
