Dr Sim: High time for S’wak, Sabah to have one-third representation in Parliament

Bernama file photo showing the opposition and government MPs in heated arguments during a Parliament session. 

KUCHING: It is timely for Sarawak and Sabah to have one-third representation each in Parliament to protect the interests of the two states, said Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) president Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian.

The Local Government and Housing Minister said that he had raised the matter in the upper house of the Parliament on several occasions, and a similar issue was also deliberated during the 2018 general elections campaign.

“When Sabah, Sarawak, Singapore and (the Federation of) Malaya came together to form Malaysia in 1963, the spirit was as equal partners.

“No one region can change the (Federal) Constitution (that can be) detrimental to other regions,” he told The Borneo Post when prompted for comments today.

He was commenting on the recent remarks of Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, who said Sarawak would continue to fight for its right in restoring the allocation of one-third representation for East Malaysia in the 222-seat Parliament.

Dr Sim said: “I had raised the one-third representation in the Senate of the Parliament multiple times as well as in the last GE (general elections) campaign.”

He believed that having one-third parliamentarians from Sabah and Sarawak could protect their interests once and for all in Parliament.

“This is so that no law or constitution can be passed that is not to benefit Sabah and Sarawak as in the original spirit of MA63 (Malaysia Agreement 1963),” he added.

On Friday, Abang Johari said it was imperative to restore the status of Sabah and Sarawak as regional partners after the departure of Singapore in 1965 from the Federation of Malaysia.

“Sabah and Sarawak should have maintained the one-third out of 222 seats allocation and if this is not the case, power distribution in Parliament leans heavily towards Peninsular Malaysia,” he told an interview with Astro Awani.

Before Singapore parted Malaysia in 1965, Peninsular Malaysia had one-third representation, Sarawak 24 seats, Sabah 16 seats and Singapore 15 seats in the Parliament.

After Singapore left the Federation of Malaysia, its allocation of 15 seats was never distributed to Sarawak or Sabah.

At present, Sarawak has 31 MPs and Sabah 25 MPs.

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