By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Sept 19: Parliamentary seat allocations for Sabah and Sarawak must go beyond demographic arithmetic and instead reflect their status as equal partners under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) newly-minted president Dr John Brian Anthony said PBDS fully supports the recent remarks by political analyst Prof Datuk Dr Jayum Jawan that equality in representation cannot be reduced to population size alone.
“In any true federation, there are two principles—representation by population (one person, one vote), and equal recognition of constituent partners, regardless of size or numbers.
“When Malaysia was formed in 1963, Sabah and Sarawak were never meant to be treated as mere ‘states’ within Malaya.
“We are equal partners, and our representation in Parliament—both in the Dewan Rakyat and the Dewan Negara—must reflect that reality,” he said in a statement today.
Dr John stressed that reviewing parliamentary seats must restore the spirit of MA63 by guaranteeing Sabah and Sarawak sufficient representation to safeguard their rights, resources and voice in national policy.
“Anything less is a breach of the federal pact that binds Malaysia together,” he added.
On this note, PBDS called upon all parties in Sarawak, Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia to support this rightful demand, stressing that it is not a matter of political favour but a constitutional, historical and moral duty.
“For the Bansa Dayak, and for the future of Malaysia, PBDS will continue to defend equality and fairness for Sarawak under the true spirit of MA63,” he said.
Earlier today, Jayum reportedly said the push for more parliamentary seats for Sarawak and Sabah is not about what Peninsular Malaysians like or dislike, but about honouring the foundation of Malaysia under the MA63.
He pointed out that when Malaysia was formed in 1963, Sabah and Sarawak were never meant to be treated as mere “states” under Malaya, but as equal partners. Therefore, their representation in both the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara should reflect that reality. — DayakDaily
