SOOK: The RM1.5 billion interim payment to Sabah is a positive development but it should not be regarded as a final settlement of Sabah’s claim to 40 per cent of its net revenue under the Federal Constitution, Pensiangan Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup (pic) said.
“This is only an interim payment. It is not a settlement of the 40 per cent claim,” he said.
He also said the representation ratio at the time Malaysia was formed in 1963 had changed following Singapore’s departure from the Federation.
The relative share of seats held by Sabah and Sarawak is now about 25 to 27 per cent, compared with the ratio at the formation of Malaysia, he said.
Arthur said he had consistently raised the issue in the Dewan Rakyat since 2018 and continued to pursue it after joining the Federal Cabinet.
“We need to restore and increase the number of representatives from Sabah and Sarawak so that it more accurately reflects our role in the Federation of Malaysia,” he said.
The effort would involve a delimitation review and discussions with the Election Commission (EC), he said.
