KUCHING: Sarawak and Sabah’s claim for one-third representation in the Parliament is rooted in history, not just a bid to balance power with Peninsular Malaysia.
Chief Political Secretary to the Premier, Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman, said that this claim aligns with the paragraph 236(a) in Cobbold Commission Report. This report states that Borneo territories’ representation in the federal government should consider their size, potential, and population.
He noted that after Singapore left Malaysia, its parliamentary seats were not fairly divided between Sarawak and Sabah. This shifted the balance towards Peninsular Malaysia. Restoring one-third representation for Sarawak and Sabah will address this imbalance.
“This will safeguard Sarawak and Sabah status in the federation whereby laws that are not in favour of the East Malaysian states could not be bulldozed in Parliament as MPs from Sarawak and Sabah must be consulted in the passing of any laws,” he said.
Responding to an NGO, Rise of Social Efforts (ROSE), which suggested that this push might lead to over-representation for Sarawak and Sabah based on population, Fazzrudin said ROSE’s viewpoint missed the broader picture. While ROSE stresses population size, Sarawak and Sabah’s vast land and smaller population also need consideration.
“If this mentality and method were to prevail and be accepted moving forward, not only in terms of determining representation but also in terms of allocation of funds by the federal government, Sarawak and Sabah would simply be left behind, which has happened,” he said.
