KOTA KINABALU – Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor today said the state will push for a bigger share of seats in Parliament, following Sarawak’s lead in demanding greater representation for East Malaysia.
Leaders from Sabah and Sarawak have long demanded for Putrajaya to uphold promises made when the nation was formed under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), which includes equitable representation in Parliament as equal partners in the federation.
Hajiji, who is also Sabah Bersatu chief, said the provision for one-third of Parliament’s seats to be allocated outside of the peninsula was part of the reason Sabah agreed to form the nation, which at the time included Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore.
“We will pursue this. I support that Sabah should have more seats in Parliament,” he told reporters here after unveiling the Sabah Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) protem committee.
In February, Sarawak Assistant Minister Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Syeed Aman Ghazali said the state government will continue to demand for greater seat share in Parliament amid ongoing talks between Putrajaya and the two East Malaysian states on the implementation of provisions under the MA63.
Both Sabah and Sarawak account for 56 seats or a quarter of Parliament’s 222 seats.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak affairs) Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili, who was also present at the event, urged MPs from both states to make a bipartisan effort to push for this in Parliament.
Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore had initially held 35% of the parliamentary seats when Malaysia was formed in 1963, with the remaining 65% held by Malaya.
But when Singapore left the federation in 1965, the 15 parliamentary seats Singapore had were absorbed by the peninsula. – The Vibes, March 18, 2022
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