Setuju tambah kerusi Parlimen mesti disusuli tindakan, kata menteri Sarawak

Sarawak's Deputy Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah stated that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's consent to increase the number of parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak must be followed by action, as merely expressing intent is insufficient. The minister emphasized the need to ensure that the reservation is more than just a hope and results in tangible changes to representation in Parliament.

He urged for efforts to address this matter and ultimately provide hope to the people of Sabah and Sarawak, confirming that this is not just Anwar's opinion but something that will indeed be implemented. Earlier, Anwar announced the government's willingness in principle to amend the Constitution to allow for the addition of parliamentary representatives from Sabah and Sarawak, in line with the 1963 Malaysia Agreement (MA63).

The prime minister stated the primary principle is a higher ratio of parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak, but Putrajaya has yet to determine a specific number. Hamzah noted that Anwar's stance reflects the spirit behind Malaysia's formation in 1963 and the safeguards promised to Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore, including the representation rules that give Borneo's states and Singapore roughly 1/3 of the seats in Parliament.

When Malaysia was formed in 1963, Malaya was allocated 105 out of 160 seats in the Dewan Rakyat (representing 65% of the vote in the House), while Sarawak held 24 seats, Sabah 16, and Singapore 15. This arrangement prevented Tanah Melayu from achieving the majority of 2/3 needed to amend the Constitution. However, after Singapore left Malaysia, its 15 seats were not redistributed to Sabah and Sarawak, leaving Borneo states without a veto.

Currently, Sabah (25 seats) and Sarawak (31 seats) hold a combined 56 parliamentary seats (25.2%) out of 222 seats in the Dewan Rakyat, falling short of the target of 1/3 (74 seats). Hamzah attributed the oversight to earlier leaders, who dismissed the issue by arguing that the relevant rules had never been formally written or explicitly stated in the Constitution.

He thanked Anwar for understanding the unseeable or choosing not to see it, as many Members of Parliament from Malaysia Borneo and previous prime ministers did.