General : BHESS, EC Start Engagement On Increasing Sabah And Sarawak Parliamentary Seats

The Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Division (BHESS) of the Prime Minister's Department has begun discussions with the Election Commission (EC) to explore the potential increase in the number of parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak. Datuk Mustapha Sakmud, who leads BHESS, made a courtesy call to EC chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun to discuss the proposal.

The meeting came after a relevant discussion at the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63) meeting on September 11, where the issue was acknowledged.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has expressed support for the idea of increasing the ratio of MPs from Sabah and Sarawak, provided that further talks with the EC take place. Currently, Sabah and Sarawak collectively hold 56 seats, or 25.3 percent of the total seats in the Dewan Rakyat. The proposal entails raising this proportion to 35 percent, which would be proportionate to the seats held by Peninsular Malaysia.

During today's talks, the BHESS and EC also delved into the processes, constitutional, legal, and technical aspects of the proposal. These considerations include electoral boundary delineation, the required data, and the nature of engagement between the government, EC, and other stakeholders. BHESS and EC are aiming to ensure that the voices and standing of Sabah and Sarawak in Parliament are further enhanced, in accordance with the original intent of Malaysia's formation and the Malaysia Agreement 1963.