KUCHING – Sarawak and Sabah should continue pursuing one-third representation in Parliament rather than settling solely for additional parliamentary seats, according to Parti Rakyat Bersatu Sarawak (SUPP) Deputy Secretary-General Dato Lo Khere Chiang.
Lo, who is also Batu Kitang State Assemblyman, said the Federal Government’s agreement to increase the number of parliamentary seats allocated to Sarawak and Sabah was a development that should be welcomed.
However, he said the increase should not replace the broader demand for a level of representation that reflects the role of the two Borneo states in the formation of Malaysia.
“The real question is about one-third Borneo representation in Parliament. The one-third safeguard is important because it provides Sabah and Sarawak with meaningful constitutional protection within the Federation,” he said when contacted by Utusan Sarawak.
Lo said the principle of one-third representation was significant because it was intended to provide a constitutional balance between Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia.
He argued that simply adding seats would not necessarily address the underlying issue if the overall proportion of parliamentary representation continued to leave Sarawak and Sabah without the balance they are seeking.
“Therefore, I believe Sarawak and Sabah must continue to fight for the one-third representation, rather than simply accepting additional seats that may still leave Borneo without the constitutional balance envisioned when Malaysia was formed. We should not merely ask Putrajaya to give us more seats. Instead, we should ask Putrajaya to restore Borneo’s rightful one-third representation,” he said.
The Dewan Rakyat currently has 222 seats. Of these, 166 seats, or about 75 percent, are allocated to Peninsular Malaysia, while Sarawak and Sabah collectively hold 56 seats, representing 25 percent of the chamber.
Sarawak currently has 31 parliamentary seats, while Sabah has 25. Together, the two states account for just over a quarter of the Dewan Rakyat’s total membership.
According to the figures cited by Lo, reaching a minimum of 35 percent representation would require 21 additional seats for Sarawak and Sabah. This would raise the combined number of parliamentary seats for the two states to 77.
The question of parliamentary representation is closely linked to broader discussions surrounding the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and the constitutional position of Sarawak and Sabah within the federation.
For Lo, the debate should therefore focus not only on the number of seats that could be added, but also on the proportion of representation held by the two states in relation to the rest of the country.
He said additional parliamentary seats could be viewed positively, but maintained that they should not become a substitute for the demand for one-third Borneo representation.
The issue also concerns the extent to which Sarawak and Sabah can maintain an effective constitutional balance in federal decision-making. Lo said this consideration should remain central to discussions between the two Borneo states and Putrajaya.
He reiterated that increasing the number of seats should not be treated as the sole objective. Instead, he said the priority should be securing representation that reflects the constitutional position of Sarawak and Sabah and the circumstances surrounding the formation of Malaysia.
