By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, April 13: Sarawak and Sabah’s demand for no less than 30 per cent of parliamentary seats—a key aspiration under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63)—faces a unique political challenge: winning over every individual Member of Parliament (MP).
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said while the federal Cabinet supports the principle of restoring Sarawak and Sabah’s parliamentary weight, he said implementation hinges on constitutional amendments, which require a two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat.
“When it goes to Parliament, will all MPs from Peninsular Malaysia agree to support the amendment?
“That becomes a rather complex demand, which requires not only negotiations at the ministry and agency levels, but more importantly, political negotiations with each individual MP to gain their support.
That is the main challenge now—whether we can realise it or not—and negotiations are ongoing. We will continue to carry out this effort,” he said when speaking during ‘Jiwa Komuniti Madani’ (Madani Community Soul) programme held in Kampung Segedup today.
Fadillah, who is the Petra Jaya assemblyman, further noted that under the original structure of Malaysia in 1963, Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore collectively held over 30 per cent of seats—a safeguard meant to prevent constitutional changes without East Malaysian consent.
However, Singapore’s exit from Malaysia in 1965 led to its seats being absorbed into Peninsular Malaysia, which now controls roughly 75 per cent of the House.
“With that kind of imbalance, constitutional changes can happen without even needing Sabah and Sarawak’s agreement. That’s what we’re trying to fix,” he added.
Reflecting on the failed 2019 amendment to Article 1(2) under former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s leadership, Fadillah recalled how misalignment between Sarawak’s expectations and the final proposal led to its rejection in Parliament.
Success only came later when the federal government, under Tun Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (then Minister of Law), conducted individual outreach to MPs, securing their understanding and backing for amendments including the inclusion of MA63 in the Constitution’s definitions.
While the focus now turns to gaining support for restoring parliamentary balance, Fadillah said Sarawak is also pursuing devolution in areas like education and health. These have been agreed in principle but remain at the administrative negotiation stage.
Of the 29 MA63 demands, 13 have been resolved, with several more awaiting top-level decisions.
Fadillah said the most sensitive—such as oil and gas management and revenue rights—could eventually be referred to the courts for interpretation if negotiations fail.
Still, he insists the federal and Sarawak governments aim to resolve these matters through continued dialogue—not litigation. – DayakDaily
