One-third formula first, more seats later, Sabah and Sarawak politicians tell Putrajaya

Putrajaya has agreed to address Sabah and Sarawak's representation in the Dewan Rakyat based on the one-third formula, but must first determine the exact legislative method, according to Nancy Shukri, Women, Family and Community Development Minister. The issue has previously centered around state assembly seats, not parliamentary representation.

Shukri, along with Sarawak leaders in the Cabinet, has been advocating for this change. The prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, confirmed the government's support for increasing Sabah and Sarawak's ratio, as discussed at the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council meeting. Former Sabah Chief Minister Salleh Said Keruak urged Putrajaya to clarify how many additional seats they intend to allocate to the two states and whether they are committed to the one-third representation.

Salleh emphasized that the real question is not the number of seats, but the proportion Sabah and Sarawak will hold. He pointed out that when Malaysia was formed in 1963, Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore held roughly one-third of the parliamentary seats, but Singapore's departure in 1965 left questions about whether the "spirit and balance" of Malaysia's formation should still be represented in Sabah and Sarawak's representation.

The Election Commission denied reports of a proposal to increase Sarawak's parliamentary constituencies by 15, stating that only a proposal for the seventh Sarawak state constituency review and redelineation has been prepared and is currently on public display.