Give our leaders a third of parliamentary seats, East M’sian NGOs urge federal govt

KOTA KINABALU – Twelve non-governmental organisations (NGOs) representing the people of Sabah and Sarawak are pushing for parliamentary reforms, including a one-third East Malaysian representation in Parliament.

The NGOs, in a statement, reminded prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob that the one-third seat allocation is enshrined in Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

“All local political parties must insist on restoring Article 46 of the federal constitution on the seat allocation so that Sabah and Sarawak are allocated 34.6% of parliamentary seats.

“The prime minister ought to be strongly reminded that there is no such thing as political stability if Putrajaya thinks it is fit to continue cheating Bornean states on the promised one-third allocation.

“Remember the one-third seat allocation was an MA63 term.

“It was a 34.6% seat allocation for Singapore, Sabah, and Sarawak as a veto bloc, being a foundational term agreed to and entrenched in Article 46 of the federal constitution, as a condition for forming the federation,” said the statement.

The 12 NGOs are Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia Foundation, Gindol Initiative for Civil Society Borneo, Sabah Sarawak Rights Australia New Zealand, Sarawak Association for People’s Aspiration, Republic of Sabah North Borneo, Persatuan Kebudayaan Kebajikan Ekonomi Mamasok Sabah, Pertubuhan Kebudayaan Rumpun Dayak Sabah, Persatuan Prihatin Muallaf Sabah, Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS), Dayak National Congress, Society for Rights of Indigenous People, and Dayak Think Tank Association Sarawak.

The group also said that if the federal government persists in not faithfully complying with MA63 terms, Sabah and Sarawak will be forced to seek the alternative option of independence from the federation.

“We believe that if MA63 were a valid international treaty, it has been terminated by the federal government’s multiple breaches of the entrenched foundational MA63 rights, and this entitles Sabah and Sarawak to seek the alternative option of independence as Singapore did in 1965,” they added.

The joint statement was sent to The Vibes today by Daniel John Jambun, president of Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia Foundation. –The Vibes, September 12, 2021