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

Kelvin Hii, Deputy Speaker of the Youth Wing of the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP), has expressed concern over the possibility of the Barisan Nasional-Perikatan Nasional (BN-PN) coalition forming a government in the 16th General Election (PRU16) without the support of Sabah and Sarawak. Hii warned this scenario could be a warning sign for Malaysia's East, as he fears these regions may not be adequately prioritized.

Currently, Sabah and Sarawak only hold 56 out of a total 222 parliamentary seats, which amounts to roughly 25% of the overall seats. A recent assessment suggests that this imbalance must be addressed, and the rights of East Malaysia should be restored.

Hii cited the Ilham Centre's prediction that if the BN-PN coalition were to form a government without the support of Sabah and Sarawak, they could potentially secure up to 122 parliamentary seats in the 16th General Election. This majority would easily exceed the required 121 seats. Hii emphasized that Sabah and Sarawak are equal partners in Malaysia, and both regions should be accorded the appropriate respect.

While 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 allocation denied Malaya the majority of two-thirds needed to amend the Constitution. However, following Singapore's secession, those 15 seats were not reallocated to Sabah and Sarawak, resulting in the two Borneo states losing their veto power.

The Sarawak Chief Minister, Abang Johari Openg, reportedly stated that allocating one-third of the House of Representatives seats to East Malaysia would prevent any central government from attempting to negate the provisions of the 1963 Malaysia Agreement. However, Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof reiterated that Sabah and Sarawak can only be allocated one-third of the House of Representatives seats after PRU16.