KUCHING: The proposal to increase the number of Members of Parliament from Sarawak and Sabah in the Dewan Rakyat has been referred to a Technical Committee for further discussion and review.

Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department (Law, MA63, and State-Federal Relations), Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali stated that the decision was made during the first meeting of the Allied Partners Working Committee in 2022, held on February 8.

According to her, the demand for 35 per cent of the parliamentary seats from Sabah and Sarawak is based on provisions outlined in the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report 1962, specifically Paragraphs 3 and 19(2).

"The proportion of seats allocated to Sarawak and North Borneo, compared to the total number of seats in the Dewan Rakyat, should not be reduced (unless new states are granted seats) within seven years after Malaysia Day, without the consent of the respective State Governments,” she explained.

She said this in response to a question from Tupong Assemblyman, Dato Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman during the second day of the 19th Sarawak Legislative Assembly Sitting on Tuesday.

Datuk Sharifah Hasidah also highlighted Sarawak’s position that the parliamentary seats previously allocated to Singapore should now be redistributed to Sarawak and Sabah. 

This would restore the 35 per cent representation as it was in 1963, in line with the original intention of Malaysia’s formation and the spirit of the IGC Report.

Further discussions are expected to take place between the Attorney General’s Chambers, the Sarawak Attorney General’s Chambers, and the State Attorney General’s Chambers of Sabah to examine the constitutional safeguards for Sarawak and Sabah as stipulated in the Cobbold Commission Report and the IGC Report 1962.

"During the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) Action Implementation Council meeting held on September 12, it was highlighted that the Attorney General’s Chambers would need to review the matter from a legal standpoint," she added. -UKASnews