By Jamie Lu
IT is crucial for Sarawak and Sabah to receive 35 per cent or one- third of the country’s parliamentary seats, in tandem with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
This is particularly important as any amendment to the Federal Constitution needed a two-thirds majority vote in Parliament as well as to ensure more rights eroded in the past, could be returned to Sarawak and Sabah.
Based on the current composition, from the 222 parliamentary seats, 166 (75 per cent) are in Peninsular Malaysia while the remaining 56 seats (25 per cent) are for the Borneo states, with Sarawak having 31 and Sabah 25.
Hence, the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government wants a balance in the distribution of power between Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak and Sabah, where the ratio of seats between the peninsula and Sarawak and Sabah must be that two-thirds representing Peninsular Malaysia and one-third for Sarawak and Sabah.
Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg (in September) said there was no need to rush into delineating the electoral boundaries so as to increase the number of seats in Sarawak and Sabah to 35 per cent.
“But, we must understand the principles behind MA63 clearly,” he said when commenting on the decision by the Special Council on the Malaysia Agreement (MKMA63) to endorse the restoration of the 35 per cent quota of parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak.
During the formation of Malaysia in 1963, Sabah had 16 seats, Sarawak 24 and Singapore 15, representing 35 per cent of the overall 159 parliamentary seats then, while the remaining 65 per cent or 104 seats belonged to Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia).
However, when Singapore left Malaysia in 1965, the seats belonging to Singapore were all allocated to Peninsular Malaysia, instead of Sabah and Sarawak to meet the 35 per cent representation.
While some have argued that the delineating of electoral boundaries or any increase of seats must be done based on population, Abang Johari, who is also the GPS chairman disagreed.
He stressed that it must be based on both — the population and size of landmass under the Westminster’s principle.
Otherwise the rural areas with low population will not have representatives if it is solely based on the population.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring) Datuk Gerawat Gala who shared a similar sentiment said the rationale for 35 per cent seats for Sabah and Sarawak, was to ensure that no single entity, could bulldoze any amendment to the Federal Constitution without the consent and approval of the other parties to the Federation, i.e., Sarawak and Sabah.
He said this also reflected the essence of the relationship agreed in MA63 between Malaya, Sarawak, Sabah and Singapore as equal partners in the formation of Malaysia.
“This is also 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.
“We are not demanding or being unreasonable as we are only asking for all parties to honour the terms of MA63,” he told New Sarawak Tribune (during an interview in September).
Based on the current 222 parliamentary seats, he said, Sarawak and Sabah should have 74 seats.
