KOTA KINABALU: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement that the Federal Government has consented to increasing parliamentary representation from Sabah and Sarawak to reflect the spirit of Malaysia’s formation received praise from both the ruling State coalition and opposition.
They hoped his assurance would be translated to action without further delay to redress one of the major grievances of the Borneo states ever since the expulsion of Singapore from the federation in 1965.
Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) described it as an important step towards restoring the balance of representation envisaged when Malaysia was formed.
Its Youth chief Datuk Christoper Mandut said the decision was a positive development that had long been awaited and persistent calls raised for years.
“Increasing parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak is not merely about adding more representatives, but concerns the balance of representation and the position of Sabah and Sarawak as founding members of the Federation in 1963.
“This is an important step to ensure the voices of Sabah and Sarawak are given due representation in the Federal decision-making process,” he said in a statement, Saturday.
Christoper said efforts to bring the issue to the Federal Government’s attention were not new and those who had consistently advocated for it should be recognised.
He noted the efforts of former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili.
Christoper said the latest move should be followed by details on the number and allocation of additional seats for Sabah and Sarawak.
Parti Warisan President, Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, said the increase should be expedited to strengthen the voice and representation of both states in the Dewan Rakyat.
The former Chief Minister who also held key Federal Minister posts said the matter was important to realise the one-third representation principle as stated by the Prime Minister.
Sabah currently had 25 parliamentary seats while Sarawak had 31, compared with more than 160 seats by peninsula-based parties.
Hence, the combined total of 56 parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak remained considerably smaller to the more than 160 seats allocated to the peninsula.
Shafie said one-third representation should reflect a balanced arrangement involving Sabah and Sarawak, rather than simply considering their combined number of seats.
“If there are more than 160 Members of Parliament from the peninsular out of 222, then one-third should be from Sabah and another one-third from Sarawak.
He said the increase should be implemented fairly by recognising Sabah and Sarawak as two separate entities.
“This needs to be expedited and the number must provide a balance, in line with what the Prime Minister has stated regarding one-third representation.”Shafie said the move would also help build confidence among Sabah’s younger generation, who were increasingly educated and had wider access to information and current developments.
Former Sabah Chief Minister Salleh Said Keruak said it would restore an important balance that existed when Malaysia was formed.
The Sabah Umno treasurer said Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore had collectively provided an important parliamentary balance when Malaysia was formed in 1963.
Malaya was allocated 105 of the 160 seats in the Dewan Rakyat – representing 65% of the voting power in the House – with Sarawak holding 24 seats, Sabah 16, and Singapore 15.
This denied Malaya the two-thirds majority required to amend the Federal Constitution. However, after Singapore’s departure, its 15 seats were not redistributed to Sabah and Sarawak, causing the two states to lose their veto power.
“This is not simply about giving Sabah and Sarawak a few additional seats. It is about restoring an important balance associated with the original formation of Malaysia,” he said.
“Restoring the one-third parliamentary balance is not about weakening Malaysia. It is about strengthening the federal partnership and respecting the foundations upon which Malaysia was formed.”Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) President Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Jeffrey G Kitingan while welcoming the announcement said any increase must fulfil the approximately 35 per cent representation envisaged when Malaysia was formed.
Hence, he said, Federal should clearly state whether the increase would restore the original parliamentary balance of about 65 per cent for Malaya and 35 per cent for Sabah and Sarawak.
“This is not merely a request for additional seats but to preserve the constitutional balance and safeguards established when Malaysia was formed,” he said.
Malaya had 104 of the 159 seats when Malaysia was formed in 1963, while Singapore, Sarawak and Sabah collectively had 55 seats.
This represented about 65.4 per cent for Malaya and 34.6 per cent for the other three territories.
Following Singapore’s departure, the balance changed and Sabah and Sarawak now collectively held 56 of the 222 parliamentary seats, or merely about 25.2 per cent.
“Restoring approximately 35 per cent representation for Sabah and Sarawak is therefore necessary to re-establish the original balance.
Jeffrey said the North Borneo Legislative Council and Sarawak’s Council Negri had, in 1962, adopted motions supporting the formation of Malaysia on the understanding that the special interests of both territories would be safeguarded through appropriate constitutional arrangements.
This was reflected in the Inter-Governmental Committee Report, while the agreed composition of the Federal legislature was set out under paragraph 19 of the report.”Jeffrey said the Madani Government should also carry forward a proposal endorsed in principle by the Special Council on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 in September 2022, during the administration of then Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, to restore 35 per cent parliamentary representation for Sabah and Sarawak through the addition of 34 seats.
Based on the current 222-seat composition, Jeffrey said at least 34 additional seats would be required for Sabah and Sarawak to hold approximately 35 per cent of an expanded House, assuming no additional seats were created elsewhere.
He said any increase in seats elsewhere would require the number allocated to Sabah and Sarawak to be adjusted accordingly to maintain the proposed ratio.
Jeffrey called for a constitutional amendment to establish that Sabah and Sarawak should collectively be entitled to approximately 35 per cent of the seats in the House of Representatives.
He said the allocation of additional constituencies and their boundaries could subsequently be dealt with through the constitutionally required electoral review and delimitation process.
Jeffrey said the constitutional amendment establishing the proposed ratio should be prioritised and completed by the end of this year.
He said failure to address the issue would further weaken Sabah and Sarawak’s position and could deepen dissatisfaction and divisions between the Borneo States and the Federal Government.
Upko Beluran division chief Felix Joseph Saang said the Government must demonstrate clear commitment by implementing it without further delay.
It proposed that Sabah be given at least 14 additional parliamentary seats to strengthen the State’s representation at Federal level.
He said the issue was not merely the number of additional seats, but ensuring a fairer ratio of representation for Sabah and Sarawak in line with the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and their position as founding partners of Malaysia.
“The increase would enable fairer, more effective and balanced representation, particularly taking into account Sabah’s geographical size, population growth and development needs,” he said.
Felix said the Election Commission (EC) had a responsibility under Article 113 of the Federal Constitution to conduct reviews of electoral boundaries in accordance with the principles set out in the Thirteenth Schedule.
“There is therefore no reason to continue delaying the process.
“It is time for the rights and position of Sabah and Sarawak to be reflected through fairer parliamentary representation.”Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Vice President cum Api-Api Division Chairman Sim Fui urged the Federal Government to ensure Sabahans are not disappointed again on both Sabah’s 40 per cent net revenue entitlement and increased parliamentary seats.
“Sabahans have heard many promises and waited for many years. This time, the people expect more than announcements, they want to see genuine progress towards implementation,” said Sim.
He said Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore once held about one-third of Parliament’s seats at Malaysia’s formation, a share that has since fallen sharply as Peninsular Malaysia’s seat count grew. He said any increase should restore that proportion rather than simply add a few seats.
“When we speak about one-third representation, we are not asking for special privileges. We are asking Malaysia to reconsider the political balance that existed when our nation was formed.”He also called for constituency boundaries to be reviewed based on geography as well as population, noting that large rural constituencies in East Malaysia differ greatly from dense urban seats.
Sim said Anwar had announced at the MA63 Implementation Action Council meeting that details on returning 40 per cent of Sabah’s net revenue would be unveiled on Malaysia Day, September 16, and during Budget 2027 in October.
