Give Sabah, Sarawak 35% share of parliamentary seats, urges symposium

The Sarawak Initiatives adviser James Chin says this is in line with the provisions of the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

(FMT) – A demand for Sabah and Sarawak to hold 35% of parliamentary seats was the top resolution adopted at the Borneo States Symposium II held in Kuching over the weekend.

The Sarawak Initiatives (TSI) adviser James Chin said the resolution was in line with the provisions of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

Sarawak’s 35% proposal must be implemented. The federal Cabinet agreed to this during former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s administration. There is no reason for Anwar (Ibrahim) to reject this, he said.

Chin said the resolution, if complied with, would fundamentally change the federal-state relationship between East and Peninsular Malaysia.

It means Putrajaya will not be able to ignore Sabah or Sarawak. Without the 35%, we do not have real leverage as Malaya alone can change the Federal Constitution at will, he said.

He also said a constitutional amendment was the only way to guarantee Sabah and Sarawak receive their share of Dewan Rakyat seats.

There is no guarantee that future governments in Putrajaya will honour this ad hoc agreement. Hence, we must insist that this 35% (stipulation) be written into the Federal Constitution.

In November 2023, the Sarawak government completed a proposal to increase its representation in the Dewan Rakyat.

Deputy minister in the premier’s department Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali said the proposal for 35% of MPs to be from Sarawak and Sabah had been submitted to Putrajaya.

Chin also warned that many NGOs in Sarawak would oppose the resolution due to influence by NGOs in the peninsula.

They do not realise they are being manipulated to promote the idea that we cannot get one third of parliamentary seats, he said.

The symposium adopted a total of seven resolutions, including for Bornean state representatives to be included in all federal fiscal and monetary policymaking agendas.

It also demanded that the federal government pay Sabah its 40% share of revenue as stated in MA63, the full devolution of power on education to the two states with full federal funding, and equal funding to all religious bodies in the two states.