BHESS, EC start engagement on increasing Sabah and Sarawak parliamentary seats
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Division (BHESS) of the Prime Minister’s Department has initiated engagement with the Election Commission (EC) to discuss the direction and implementation mechanism for the proposal to increase the number of members of parliament (MPs) from Sabah and Sarawak.
The Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Division (BHESS) of the Prime Minister's Department has begun discussions with the Election Commission (EC) regarding the proposal to increase the number of parliamentary seats for the two Malaysian states. During a courtesy call led by Datuk Mustapha Sakmud, the EC chairman, Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun, was briefed on the matter, which was also discussed at the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63) meeting held on September 11.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has expressed support for increasing the ratio of MPs from Sabah and Sarawak to 35 per cent of the total seats in the Dewan Rakyat, a move that would balance the representation with the seats allocated to Peninsular Malaysia. The discussions also covered the constitutional, legal, and technical aspects of the proposal, including electoral boundary delineation and the engagement process among the government, the EC, and stakeholders.
Mustapha emphasized that this proposal aims to strengthen the representation and voice of Sabah and Sarawak in Parliament, in line with the original spirit of Malaysia's formation and the implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
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