KOTA KINABALU: Sabah and Sarawak deserve fairer representation in Parliament in line with the spirit and founding principles of Malaysia, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said.
Speaking during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat, Mustapha stressed that the call for additional parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak is not merely a matter of numbers but is closely tied to the principles upon which Malaysia was established.
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He said fairer representation would ensure that the voices of the people in both territories are more effectively conveyed at the Federal level.
He said the formation of Malaysia must continue to be respected and strengthened, adding that equitable representation is part of safeguarding the rights and interests of Sabah and Sarawak within the Federation.
He also pointed out that electoral re-delineation is the responsibility of the Election Commission (EC), which takes into account various factors, including population density, geographical size, terrain, new developments, infrastructure and the people’s access to services provided by their elected representatives.
“Our hope is to achieve balanced development across all regions of sovereign Malaysia,” he said.
Mustapha added that the Madani Government remains committed to championing the aspirations and welfare of the people of Sabah and Sarawak.
Both Sabah and Sarawak have contended that the Borneo states should be entitled to one-third representation in Parliament, in line with the 2022 amendment to the Federal Constitution which reverted the status of both to that of equal partners as at the formation of Malaysia.
Following Singapore’s separation in 1965, its 19 seats which were supposed to be redistributed between Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak, but eventually all went to peninsula states, placing the Borneo states at a great disadvantage when Bills affecting both states are passed as they are outnumbered vis-à-vis the peninsula states in Parliament.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had said that Sabah and Sarawak would get additional seats but stopped short of committing whether it would be a nominal increase or ensure one-third representation in Parliament.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet is expected to decide soon on measures to address diesel subsidy concerns raised by Sabah and Sarawak.
“This matter has been discussed since the Budi Diesel scheme was introduced and we have received many complaints from various groups, industries and the public,” Mustapha said.
On whether the people could expect an announcement within the month, Mustapha said the Ministry of Finance is refining a solution to be tabled at the next Cabinet meeting.
“It is discussed every week in Cabinet and the Ministry of Finance is looking for solutions to address these issues.
“Our approach was to roll it out first and then identify what still needs to be improved, just as we did with the RON95 Budi scheme before this,” he said.
He said the leadership in Sabah and Sarawak had repeatedly raised the issue at the Federal level, including during a meeting with Anwar a day earlier.
Asked whether Sabah and Sarawak could see the additional diesel allocation raised from 100 litres to 200 litres, Mustapha said the proposal is still being studied.
“That too is under consideration,” he said.
The introduction of the 200-litre subsidised diesel quota on July 1 with an extra 100 litres available for certain vehicles triggered unease across Sabah, with local leaders, unions and tourism operators arguing that the cap did not account for the State’s vast distances and rural infrastructure challenges.
