MKMA63 discusses returning 35 per cent of Parliament seats to Sabah, Sarawak

KOTA KINABALU – The issue of returning 35 per cent of the Parliament seats in Sabah and Sarawak is among the matter discussed in the Special Council on Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MKMA63) held on Thursday.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili said the matter was among the main issues in the fifth MKMA63 meeting held in Putrajaya and was chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

However, Maximus said the matter needed to be discussed further, especially with the involvement of law practitioners and legislators in both states.

He said the legislators from Sabah and Sarawak asked for the research to be conducted again towards the total Parliament seats of both of the Borneo states.

"In 1963, Sabah had 16 Parliament seats followed by Sarawak (24) and Singapore (15), with the total represented 35 per cent of the overall 159 seats in Parliament while the remaining 65 per cent or 104 Parliament seats were in Malaya (Peninsular).

"Malaya at the time did not own two-thirds majority. So when Singapore left Malaysia in 1965, the seats owned by it should have been given to Sabah and Sarawak to ensure the position of the 35 per cent," he said in a statement here, today.

The Kota Marudu MP said the suggestion to have the Parliament seats position returned was confirmed by the Parliamentary Special Select Committee in 2012.

He said the last task at this time was to convince the Election Commission (EC) however, the issue needed to be emphasised because it was a return of rights in line with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

Prior to that, based on the current estimates from 222 Parliament seats at the time, 166 seats or 75 per cent were in West Malaysia while 25 per cent or 56 seats were 25 seats in Sabah and 31 in Sarawak.