KUCHING: The endorsement of the Special Council on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MKMA63) to restore 35 per cent parliamentary seats from East Malaysia ratio – must be based on the population instead of the status of a state.
Senior Fellow at the Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research Dr Azmi Hassan said an elected representative is meant to represent the people and not a state.
“Although this is a contentious practice by any democratic country (to increase seats), it must be done according to the size of an area and its population.
“Thus, the MKMA63 should prioritise the two matters, especially the population, instead of the status of the two states,” he said, referring to Sabah and Sarawak.
However, Deputy Minister in the Premier of Sarawak’s Department (Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring) Datuk Gerawat Gala said the rationale for this was to ensure that no single entity, for instance, the Malaya could bulldoze any amendment to the Federal Constitution without the consent and approval of the other parties to the Federation, including Sarawak and Sabah.
He explained that this was because any amendment to the Federal Constitution needed a two-third majority vote in Parliament.
According to the Inter Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report which is part of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), has specified the number of seats in Parliament to be 159 and the allocation of seats between Malaya (104), Sarawak (24), Sabah (16) and Singapore (15) which effectively give Sarawak, Singapore and Sabah – which was just above one-third of the total number of seats in Parliament.
Gerawat said this rationale reflected the essence of the relationship agreed in MA63 between Malaya, Sarawak, Sabah and Singapore as equal partners in the formation of Malaysia in 1963.
“As of today, Sarawak and Sabah only have 56 seats which is less than one third of the 222 members of Parliament. Based on the current 222 members of Parliament, Sarawak and Sabah should have 74 seats instead of the current 56 seats,” he told New Sarawak Tribune.
As the Election Commission (EC) is unlikely to reduce the number of existing parliamentary seats in Malaya in order to allocate additional seats to Sarawak and Sabah, he said, the EC should increase the number of parliamentary seats to ensure that Sarawak and Sabah have 35 per cent of the total seats in Parliament.
Gerawat said this was in order to maintain the spirit of MA63 and ensure that Sarawak and Sabah continue to have a meaningful and effective role in the Federation of Malaysia and for check and balance against any one entity placed in a very dominant position.
Sarawakians and Sabahans, he said, would feel side-lined and alienated if the Federal Government does not give Sarawak and Sabah the accord as provided in MA63 which is the foundational document for Malaysia.
“Sarawak and Sabah are not demanding or being unreasonable as we are only asking for all parties to honour the terms of MA63,” he said.
On Thursday, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili in a statement said the matter was deliberated during the fifth MKMA63 meeting held in Putrajaya and chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
In 1963, Sabah had 16 seats, Sarawak 24 and Singapore 15, representing 35 per cent of the overall 159 parliamentary seats, while the remaining 65 per cent or 104 seats belonged to Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia). Malaya does not possess the two-third majority alone.
“So when Singapore left Malaysia in 1965, the seats belonging to Singapore should have been given to Sabah and Sarawak to meet the 35 per cent representation,” Ongkilili said.
Based on the current composition, from the 222 parliamentary seats, 166 or 75 per cent are in Peninsular Malaysia while the remaining 25 per cent or 56 seats are for the Borneo states, with Sarawak having 31 and Sabah 25.
