{
  "id": 9987573,
  "title": "Special panel needed on proposal to increase Sabah, Sarawak MPs, says minister",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/special-panel-needed-on-proposal-to-increase-sabah-sarawak-mps-says",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-26T12:24:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/09/26/special-panel-needed-on-proposal-to-increase-sabah-sarawak-mps-says-minister"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mustapha Sakmud, the minister for Sabah and Sarawak affairs in the Prime Minister's Department, has proposed the establishment of a special committee to study the possibility of increasing the number of parliamentary seats in Sabah and Sarawak. Discussions with the Election Commission on this matter are still in the early stages, focusing on methods and studies required for the increase. The proposed committee would consist of representatives from the Election Commission, the legal affairs division, and the Prime Minister's Department's Sabah and Sarawak affairs division. Mustapha hopes this approach will provide a clear timeline for the implementation of the proposal. The proposal aims to increase the proportion of parliamentary representation for Sabah and Sarawak, aligning with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) spirit. On September 11, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced the government's agreement to raise the representation for Sabah and Sarawak in line with the MA63 principles.",
  "summary": "Mustapha Sakmud says the study should determine a timeline for implementation of the plan.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Bernama",
        "title": "General : Special Committee Needed To Study Sabah, Sarawak Parliamentary Seat Increase - Mustapha",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/general-special-committee-needed-to-study-sabah-sarawak-parliamentary",
        "published": "2026-09-26T10:14:26.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Special panel needed on proposal to increase Sabah, Sarawak MPs, says minister",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/special-panel-needed-on-proposal-to-increase-sabah-sarawak-mps-says-9988355",
        "published": "2026-09-26T12:24:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}