Special panel proposed to study extra Sabah, Sarawak parliamentary seats

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Mustapha Sakmud, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Sabah and Sarawak), has proposed the formation of a special committee to examine the possibility of augmenting the parliamentary representation for Sabah and Sarawak in the Dewan Rakyat. This move was discussed during the recent meeting of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63) Technical Committee and was also deliberated upon by the cabinet.

Mustapha, who is also expected to chair the proposed committee alongside Azalina Othman Said, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform), mentioned that the matter was still at a preliminary stage. The proposal has been raised in preliminary discussions with the Election Commission (EC) to gather input and ascertain the necessary steps for the implementation.

Out of the 26 matters being addressed under the MTPMA63 negotiation platform, 13 have been deemed resolved following the council's inaugural assembly on September 11. Among these, three are categorized as fully resolved, while five are still pending, and five have been escalated to the top level for discussions involving the Prime Minister, the Sarawak Premier, and the Sabah Chief Minister.

These contentious issues encompass oil royalties, petroleum cash payments, stamp duty, the Territorial Sea Act 2012, and state prerogatives over the continental shelf. Mustapha emphasized the government's dedication to expediting the resolution of all outstanding MA63 matters, albeit acknowledging that the duration required for each resolution hinges on the relevant legal procedures.

The current administration remains resolute in its commitment to the prudent, inclusive, and spirit-of-federalism implementation of MA63.