More Sabah, Sarawak seats will bring back parliamentary balance, says Salleh

Former Sabah Chief Minister Salleh Said Keruak has expressed support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's plan to boost parliamentary representation for Sabah and Sarawak. Keruak argues that this proposal will restore a crucial balance that existed when Malaysia was formed, without weakening the nation as a whole.

Keruak recalls that in 1963, Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore together held a one-third parliamentary balance in the Dewan Rakyat. Malaysia was allocated 105 of the 160 seats, while Sarawak had 24 seats, Sabah had 16, and Singapore had 15. This arrangement granted Sabah and Sarawak a crucial veto power, preventing Malaya from amending the Federal Constitution with a two-thirds majority.

However, after Singapore's departure from Malaysia, its 15 seats were not redistributed to Sabah and Sarawak, leaving the two states with a combined 56 parliamentary seats (25.2%) out of the current 222. Keruak believes that increasing the parliamentary representation for Sabah and Sarawak is not about weakening Malaysia, but rather about strengthening the federal partnership and honoring the foundations of the federation.

Anwar has stated that the Federal Constitution will be amended to allow for an increase in parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak, in line with the Malaysia Agreement 1963. While the possibility of additional parliamentary seats for Peninsular Malaysia cannot be ruled out, Anwar emphasizes the necessity of improving representation for the two Bornean states.