One-third seats could boost Sabah, Sarawak's federal leverage
PETALING JAYA: Allocating one-third of parliamentary seats to Sabah and Sarawak could give the two states significantly greater influence over the formation of the federal government, analysts said.
Political analysts are suggesting that allocating one-third of parliamentary seats to Sabah and Sarawak could significantly increase the two states' influence in the formation of the federal government. Currently, Sabah and Sarawak hold about a quarter of the Dewan Rakyat seats, but if their representation were increased to one-third, they would only need the support of 34 MPs from the peninsula to achieve a simple majority of 112 seats.
In contrast, a Peninsular coalition seeking to govern without Sabah and Sarawak's support would need to win nearly 78% of the remaining 144 seats, a considerably higher threshold. This proposal has gained renewed attention as concerns grow that greater cooperation among Peninsular parties could allow a future government to be formed without relying heavily on East Malaysian support.
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