Kuala Lumpur: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has reportedly said that the government has yet to review the proposal to increase Sabah and Sarawak’s share of parliamentary seats.
According to a report in Free Malaysia Today (FMT), Zahid said yesterday that the issue must first be discussed among members of the unity government.
“And when the time comes, we will discuss the proposal with the other MPs, including those from the opposition,” he was quoted as saying.
Zahid reportedly added that any move forward would require consultation with the Election Commission.
His remarks follow Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof’s statement yesterday that the plan must involve direct discussions with Peninsular MPs, who hold 75 per cent of the seats in Parliament.
Fadillah said such political engagement is crucial, noting that the matter could be escalated to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council if no consensus is reached at the technical committee level.
Sabah and Sarawak currently hold a combined 56 out of 222 seats — about 25 per cent — a figure unchanged since the last redelineation in 2006.
