KUCHING: Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg’s proposal to increase Sarawak’s parliamentary constituencies deserves the support of Sarawakians as it is consistent with the spirit of the Malaysian Agreement 1963 (MA63) and Inter Government Committee Report (IGC).
Deputy Minister in the Premier of Sarawak’s Department (Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring) Datuk Gerawat Gala said when Malaysia was formed, it was agreed between the parties to MA63, namely Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak, that Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak should have about 35 per cent – about one third – of the total number of seats in Parliament.
This was to protect the special position and rights of Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak which were provided for in the Federal Constitution; where any amendment to the Federal Constitution required a minimum two-third majority vote in Parliament.
“The allocation of 35 per cent of the total number of parliamentary seats to Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak was to ensure that Malaya by itself will not be able to unilaterally amend the Federal Constitution, without the agreement and support of the parliamentary members from Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.
Without this allocation of 35 per cent of the parliamentary seats for Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak, Malaya can amend and repeal those constitutional provisions giving special rights to Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak, such as Article 153 and Article 161A to 161H.
Speaking to New Sarawak Tribune, the Mulu assemblyman said, however, when Singapore left Malaysia, the parliamentary seats allocated to Singapore were ‘deleted’ and not allocated to Sabah and Sarawak, thereby reducing the proportion of parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak to only 25 per cent or less than one-third of the total parliamentary seats today,” he said.
In the current Parliament, 166 (or 75 per cent) of the 222 seats are in Peninsular Malaysia while the remaining 25 per cent, or 56 seats, are in Sarawak (31) and Sabah (25).
On Sunday, the Betong zone’s special Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) convention called for an increase in the number of parliamentary seats in Sarawak by at least 12 to add to the present 31.
This was one of the nine resolutions passed at the one-day convention attended by delegates from 14 PBB branches in the Betong zone.
PBB vice president Datuk Julaihi Narawi said the resolutions called for at least three of the new seats to be considered for the Betong zone.
When commenting on the resolution, Abang Johari said the party will set up a committee to handle and put forward a proposal to increase the number of parliamentary constituencies in Sarawak.
He said the proposal was in line with the MA63 and would be forwarded to the Election Commission.
Gerawat added that the subject on the increase in parliamentary seats for Sarawak and Sabah has also been raised with the MA63 National Steering Committee while a joint working committee under the Prime Minister’s Department has been set up to study the legal and constitutional aspects before making any recommendations to the appropriate authority.
“All parties to MA63 must honour and comply with the wishes and agreement reached between our leaders who negotiated and signed the MA63 together with the IGC which have now been incorporated into Article 160(2) of the Federal Constitution through the amendment approved by Parliament in 2018,” he added.
