By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Oct 14: The federal government’s agreement in principle to increase Sabah and Sarawak’s parliamentary representation marks the beginning of a constitutional process that requires an amendment to the Federal Constitution passed by a two-thirds majority in Parliament.
Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Law, MA63 and State-Federal Relations) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali said the formula and number of additional parliamentary seats had yet to be determined and would require further discussions between the federal government and the Sarawak and Sabah governments.
“The Federal Cabinet had agreed in principle to increase the proportion of parliamentary representation for the two Borneo states in line with the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
“The decision was announced by the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) following the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63) meeting for 2026, held in Kota Kinabalu on Sept 11.
“The federal government has acknowledged that this will require an amendment to the Federal Constitution. The agreement in principle is therefore the start of a constitutional process,” she said in responding to questions from Bukit Assek assemblyman Chieng Jin Ek during the question-and-answer session at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUNS) sitting today.
Sharifah Hasidah said Sabah and Sarawak, together with Singapore, had held approximately one-third of parliamentary seats when Malaysia was formed in 1963.
Today, Sarawak and Sabah hold 56 of the 222 seats in the Parliament, accounting for about 25 per cent of the total.
She said the Sarawak government’s position remained that their parliamentary representation should be restored in line with the original arrangement and the spirit of MA63.
“The next steps include reaching an agreement on the formula and number of additional seats among the federal government, Sarawak and Sabah, followed by the preparation of a Constitution (Amendment) Bill for Parliament’s approval.
“Only after the constitutional amendment process is completed can the Election Commission (EC) proceed with the relevant parliamentary constituency delimitation exercise,” she explained.
Sharifah Hasidah stressed that the matter was separate from the ongoing redelineation exercise by the EC, which currently involves State constituencies.
The distinction comes as Sarawak proceeds with the Seventh Sarawak Redelineation Review following the State’s approval in 2025 to increase the number of Sarawak Legislative Assembly seats from 82 to 99.
The parliamentary representation proposal, however, concerns the composition of the Dewan Rakyat, which is governed by Article 46 of the Federal Constitution.
“Until the necessary constitutional amendment and subsequent delimitation process are completed, no additional parliamentary seats can be regarded as legally established,” she added.
Sharifah Hasidah said discussions on outstanding MA63 matters would continue through MTPMA63 and the relevant technical and working committees.
She also outlined progress on education, including the federal government’s agreement to delegate authority to the Education Sarawak director to approve projects financed by the Sarawak government or other non-federal government entities.
The arrangement removes the previous requirement for such approvals to be routed through Putrajaya, with the aim of speeding up the implementation of education projects in the State.
The federal Ministry of Education had also agreed to consult the Education Sarawak director before making decisions on appointments or acting appointments in the State, to help minimise prolonged vacancies.
In addition, the ministry was prepared to allow Computer Science to be taught in English as an additional Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subject.
On healthcare, Sharifah Hasidah said Sarawak continued to pursue the formal delegation of statutory authority under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (Act 586), which would allow the state to administer the licensing, inspection and approval of private healthcare facilities.
She said a Joint Action Committee meeting held on Aug 11, 2025, co-chaired by the Health Minister and Sarawak Deputy Premier, had discussed healthcare access, infrastructure, manpower requirements and the long-term development of the state’s health system.
“The Sarawak government will continue to raise our rights under the MA63, the Federal Constitution and the IGC Report, to ensure Sarawak’s rights and interests are protected and steadily strengthened for the benefit of our people,” she said. — DayakDaily
