Sabah and Sarawak promised 40 seats
Published on: Saturday, November 17, 1962
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The Tunku made the statement at an airport press conference before he left on a 5-day visit to the Borneo territories. The Malaysian plan will link up Malaya, Singapore, North Borneo, Sarawak and Brunei under one independent federation.
The Malayan Prime Minister said the 40 seats given to Sarawak and North Borneo was “nearly three times bigger than the porportion we have for our Parliament.”
“We have 104 seats for seven million people and the population of the Borneo territories is jut more than one million people.”
The Tunku said: These people (the people of North Borneo and Sarawak) are new to us. They are not yet thinking in terms of members of the same family. They thought that we would be assuming the role of Britain. This is a special concession to them”.
The Tunku said his visit to the Borneo territories was because of an urgent request. He did not elaborate.
The Malayan Prime Minister said he would not visit Brunei “because they have not decided to join Malaysia and they have not invited me.”
The Tunku is expected to return to Kuala Lumpur on November 22.
In Jesselton, a warm welcome awaits the Tunku when he arrives in the North Borneo capital tomorrow afternoon by a “Dove” of the Royal Malayan Air Force.
During his visit the Tunku will meet hundreds of people including high-ranking government officials political leaders as well as members of the public.
A welcome arch has been erected at Tanjong Aru to mark the first visit of the Malayan Prime Minister.
Meanwhile, the Inter-Governmental Committee on Malaysia has made “real good headway,” according to Mr Donald Stephens, joint leader of the North Borneo delegation, to the committee.
Mr Stephens, who returned tonight to Jesselton with other members of the North Borneo delegation, told reporters at the Jesselton airport that the Committee had made real good progress in the constitutional and fiscal matters.
For the first time the Committee achieved something, he added.
He was confident that the arrangements could be worked out satisfactorily by the end of February next year.
The next meeting of the Committee will be held in Jesselton on November 22 when Lord Lansdowne will preside.
Delegates who returned to Jesselton this evening by an RAF Hastings from Kuala Lumpur were Mr. R. N Turner, Mr Donald Stephens, OKK Datu Mustapha, Mr Davidson, Mr II. Jones, Mr W.S. Holley and Mr J.C. Ballard.
They were accompanied by Mrs Turner, Mrs Stephens Datin Mustapha, Mrs Holley and Mrs Ballard The remaining delegates will return tomorrow.
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