KUCHING, Sept 9: Sarawak and Sabah will now be able to push for 78 parliamentary seats as the meeting of the Special Council on the Malaysia Agreement today (MKMA63) has endorsed the restoration of 35 per cent of the 222 parliamentary seats for East Malaysia.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili announced this in a statement last night (Sept 8) after the issue was deliberated and endorsed at the fifth meeting of the Special Council, which was chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob in Putrajaya.
“However, more engagements are required about the issue, especially among serving Borneo legislators and legal practitioners,” he said in a news report by Bernama.
Based on the current arrangement in Parliament, with a total of 222 seats, 166 or 75 per cent are in Peninsular Malaysia, while the remaining 25 per cent or 56 seats are for the Borneo States, with Sarawak (31) and Sabah (25).
Ongkili, also Kota Marudu Member of Parliament (MP), pointed out that lawmakers from Sabah and Sarawak have demanded a review to restore one-third of the country’s total parliamentary seats as enshrined in the MA63.
“In 1963, Sabah had 16 seats, Sarawak (24) and Singapore (15), representing 35 per cent of the overall 159 parliamentary seats, while the remaining 65 per cent or 104 seats were Malaya’s.
“Malaya does not possess the two-thirds majority alone. So when Singapore left Malaysia in 1965, the seats belonging to Singapore should be given to Sabah and Sarawak, to meet the 35 per cent representation,” he explained.
He added that the proposed restoration of seats had been endorsed by the Parliamentary Special Select Committee in 2012.
Although the ultimate task is to convince the Election Commission (EC), Ongkili stressed that the issue should be pushed because it is another restoration in accordance with the MA63.
It was also reported that Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had briefed the MKMA63 that efforts are ongoing to beef up health services in Sabah and Sarawak.
The council, which included Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg, senior federal and State ministers and officials, was informed that both Sabah and Sarawak could expect additional doctors and nurses soon, as well as other medical facilities.
“Also in the pipeline are plans to repair dilapidated hospitals and clinics in both states and to ensure there are sufficient numbers of specialists at all healthcare outlets,” the statement read. — DayakDaily
