‘No contradiction’: Abang Johari explains why EC says no Sarawak seat proposal yet

KUCHING, Sept 27 — Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg clarified that there is no contradiction between the federal government’s agreement in principle to boost parliamentary representation for Sarawak and Sabah, and the Election Commission’s (EC) assertion that no proposal for increasing Sarawak’s parliamentary seats currently exists.

Abang Johari stated that these statements relate to distinct phases in the process, with the government’s agreement needing parliamentary approval before the EC can commence the formal review of constituencies. “Those are separate messages, and there’s no contradiction. There are procedures to follow before augmenting parliamentary seats in Sarawak,” he explained during a press conference following the launch of the Sarawakku Sayang 2026 programme in Betong.

He further elaborated that the federal government had provisionally agreed to augment parliamentary representation for Sarawak and Sabah, but this must first obtain endorsement from Parliament through a Bill. Once approved, the EC would then advance to the subsequent stages, including the public exhibition of proposed constituencies for potential objections and the formulation of further recommendations.

Abang Johari emphasized that the federal government’s provisional agreement must traverse the entire process before the EC initiates action. He emphasized that this parallels the endorsement of new state seats in the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN), which likewise required prior approval by the DUN before the EC proceeded with the ensuing stages.

On September 11, Prime Minister Datuk Anwar Ibrahim announced that the Cabinet had agreed to augment parliamentary representation for Sarawak and Sabah. However, on September 25, EC secretary Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus indicated there was no proposal to expand the number of parliamentary constituencies in Sarawak at the time. Abang Johari expressed hope that the federal government would adhere to the matters discussed and agreed upon during previous Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) Committee meetings, which included increased allocations for Sarawak.

“Multiple issues were deliberated upon, and securing additional allocations for Sarawak was among those deliberated and agreed upon. We anticipate it will be incorporated into Budget 2027,” he stated. He previously highlighted that Sarawak anticipated funding-related matters agreed upon in the spirit of MA63 to be reflected in the upcoming Budget 2027, set to be presented in Parliament on October 9, as announced by the Prime Minister.