Sarawak and Sabah’s push for more Dewan Rakyat seats is about restoring the rightful status of the two states as equal partners in the formation of Malaysia, says a Sarawakian analyst.
Academy of Sciences Malaysia fellow Jayum Jawan said the issue was rooted in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and should not be viewed in terms of population size, the rural-urban divide or constituency balance.
He rejected the views of analyst Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara, who had warned that Sarawak’s claim on more seats based on MA63 rather than population size could spark discontent in the peninsula.
Jayum said: “The exercise that Sabah and Sarawak appear to have secured from the federal government relates to MA63 and the restoration of the legislative status of Sabah and Sarawak in the Malaysian Parliament as equal partners in the federation; not as constituent parts like the 11 states in Malaya,” Dayak Daily reported.
Azmi said political parties in the peninsula were likely to push for more seats if Sarawak’s representation was increased.
Faisal Abdul Aziz, chairman of electoral watchdog Bersih, had also suggested that Sabah and Sarawak be given a one-third share of Dewan Negara seats instead.
However, Jayum said any increase in parliamentary seats must apply to both houses, not just the Senate. He said Faisal’s proposal was a deflection from what Sabah and Sarawak have consistently sought.
“The long-term picture is to restore Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners alongside Malaya, each forming one-third of Malaysia as agreed in 1963. This has little to do with what West Malaysians like or do not like. It is a fact of Malaysia’s founding history,” he stressed.
Jayum acknowledged that the road ahead may be “long and slippery,” as Sabah and Sarawak’s quest could eventually trigger broader political and economic restructuring.
