Sabah and Sarawak’s parliamentary seat boost aligns with MA63 requirements, addressing long-standing demands for fair representation.
TUARAN: The federal government’s agreement to increase parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak aligns with Malaysia Agreement 1963 requirements, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said today.
The Gabungan Rakyat Sabah chairman welcomed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement as a positive step toward realising MA63 demands.
“This is certainly what Sabah and Sarawak have been waiting for to get the additional parliamentary seats,” Hajiji stated after meeting GRS election machinery in Kampung Lok Batik.
He emphasised that Sabah and Sarawak’s large geographical size warrants special consideration for additional parliamentary representation.
The chief minister noted that MA63 provisions guarantee Sabah and Sarawak at least one-third of parliamentary seats.
Earlier, the prime minister confirmed the government’s in-principle agreement to increase seats based on voter numbers in both states.
While no specific commitment exists for one-third representation, the government remains committed to increasing seats according to need.
Hajiji highlighted that Sabah’s parliamentary constituencies require additional seats due to population growth.
He cited Kinabatangan, which matches Pahang’s size but holds only one parliamentary seat.
The Tuaran parliamentary constituency covers an area equivalent to Perlis state.
“Thank you to the Prime Minister,” Hajiji concluded.
Sabah currently holds 25 parliamentary seats while Sarawak has 31. – Bernama
