Constitution to be amended for more parliamentary seats in Sabah, Sarawak
Constitution to be amended for more parliamentary seats in Sabah, Sarawak
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says this is in accordance with the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
Anwar said the increase is necessary to ensure the two states have greater representation in Parliament.
“Some ordinary decisions are usually expedited. The most important one is the decision to amend the constitution to allow greater participation of Sabah and Sarawak MPs, as promised in MA63.
“The increase in the number of MPs is the prerogative of the Election Commission,” he was quoted by Sinar Harian as saying after chairing a Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council meeting in Kota Kinabalu today.
The meeting was attended by Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor, Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg and Sabah and Sarawak affairs minister Mustapha Sakmud.
Anwar said while the possibility of more parliamentary seats in Peninsular Malaysia cannot be ruled out, it must not undermine the need to increase Sabah and Sarawak’s representation.
Asked whether the representation of Sabah and Sarawak was targeted to make up 40% of the total parliamentary seats, Anwar said Putrajaya had not set a figure.
He said the details and mechanism would be discussed with the EC, the state governments, and the parties involved.
The fundamental principle of one-person one-vote is being diluted more and more than ever in Malaysia.
ReplyDeleteAs it is, West Malaysians have no freedom of employment, business, no freedom of residence in East Malaysia, purely at the sufference of Sarawak and Sabah governments. Applications need to be justified case by case, with detailed documentation just like Bangla or Indon, and significant numbers are delayed or rejected.
ReplyDeleteMy organisation has a business office in Kucing, and I really needed the regional office manager and the accountant to be people I have full confidence in. Qualified Sarawakians given due consideration , of course, but having legal obstacles placed on hiring the most appropriate candidates from Malaysian citizens, not foreign citizens, mind you, is a real business barrier.
While Sabahans and Sarawakians have full freedom of employment, business and residence.in.the.Peninsula.