Unjuran PRU16 tunjuk sebab Sabah, Sarawak perlu 1/3 kerusi, kata pemimpin SUPP

Kelvin Hii, deputy chairman of the SUPP Youth Wing, has warned that the current situation where Sarawak and Sabah can be marginalized solely because their support is no longer needed to form the national government is unacceptable. Speaking to Borneo Post, Hii expressed concerns that the possibility of a Barisan Nasional-Perikatan Nasional (BN-PN) coalition forming a government without the support of Sabah and Sarawak could be a warning sign for East Malaysia.

He believes this indicates the importance of allocating one-third of parliamentary seats to Sabah and Sarawak to ensure their rights and interests are protected, regardless of who governs Putrajaya. Unfortunately, Sarawak and Sabah currently hold only 56 out of 222 parliamentary seats, or roughly 25% of the total. The latest assessment is another warning that this imbalance must be addressed and the rights rightfully belonging to East Malaysia should be restored.

Hii also quoted the Ilham Centre's prediction that a BN-PN coalition could secure up to 122 parliamentary seats in the 2016 general election, with a majority easily reaching 121 seats. He emphasized that Sabah and Sarawak are equal partners in Malaysia, and both states need to be given their due respect. When Malaysia was formed in 1963, Malaya was allocated 105 out of 160 parliamentary seats (representing 65% of the voting power in the House), with Sarawak receiving 24 seats, Sabah 16, and Singapore 15.

This arrangement denied Malaya the two-thirds majority required to amend the Constitution. However, after Singapore's separation, those 15 seats were not reapportioned to Sabah and Sarawak, causing the two Borneo states to lose their veto power. Sarawak Chief Minister, Abang Johari Openg, reportedly stated that allocating one-third of parliamentary seats to East Malaysia would prevent any central government from trying to deny the provisions in the 1963 Malaysia Agreement.

However, Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof stressed that Sabah and Sarawak can only be allocated one-third of parliamentary seats after the 2016 general election.