Kota Kinabalu: Increasing the number of parliamentary seats is important to amplify the voices of the people of Sabah and Sarawak, said Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak), Datuk Ts. Mustapha Sakmud.
He said the increase was not merely about adding seats, but also about upholding the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), under which the voices of Sabah and Sarawak must be taken into account in making important policy decisions for the country’s future.
“An increase in the number of parliamentary seats is important to amplify the voices of the people of Sabah and Sarawak in making important policies for the country’s future, in line with the spirit of the MA63.
“Most importantly, the decision is not merely about increasing the number of seats, but more about the ratio or overall representation, where the total number of seats must take into account the voices of the people of Sabah and Sarawak before major decisions are formulated in Parliament.
“Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, as Chairman of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63), brought a consideration paper to the MTPMA63 meeting on Sept. 11, and it was agreed upon,” he said.
Mustapha said this after officiating the JIWA@Komuniti Madani National Day and Malaysia Day programme at Kg Lapasan here on Sunday.
“The policy decision was made and discussed at the Cabinet meeting last week and was jointly agreed upon.
“In fact, the Election Commission (EC) will conduct a study on how to increase the number of seats in Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.
Mustapha said the time needed to increase the number of seats would depend on the policy decision that had been agreed upon, adding that the EC would conduct a comprehensive study before it was presented to the Cabinet and subsequently tabled in Parliament, as it requires the support of a two-thirds majority of MPs.
Meanwhile, he hoped that all Malaysians, especially the younger generation, would understand the country’s history in achieving independence and the formation of Malaysia.
"Today’s programme is important for the younger generation and children to understand the history of how Malaysia was formed together with the Federation of Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak.
“Besides that, the programme also aims to further ignite the spirit of National Day and Malaysia Day, so that we appreciate a sovereign and independent nation and ensure that this sovereignty remains forever,” he said.
The programme also featured traditional games, an e-Kasih service counter by Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK), a Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) service counter and free health screenings provided by the Kota Kinabalu District Health Office.
