A LAWMAKER from Sarawak has asked the government to study the proposed amendment that seeks to raise the number of seats allocated for Sabah and Sarawak in Parliament.

Wilson Ugak Anak Kumbong (Hulu Rajang-GPS), during the debate on the royal address in the Dewan Rakyat today, said Sabah and Sarawak should be given one-third of the 222 parliamentary seats so that power distribution in the House does not depend on only one side – the peninsula.

He said Sabah and Sarawak only have 56 seats between them in Parliament – 25 for Sabah and 31 for Sarawak.

“This figure is far removed from the spirit created in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), which emphasises the concept of co-partners,” he said.

He said while the matter was not stipulated in the MA63, he hoped the government would expedite the move to review the proposed amendment.

Apart from that, Kumbong said various infrastructure development projects in Sarawak also needed to be speeded up, especially in the state’s rural and interior areas as Kalimantan, which is adjacent to Sarawak and Sabah, was being developed as Indonesia’s new capital.

This development, he said, would indirectly bring economic benefits to Sabah and Sarawak.

Meanwhile, on the successful constitutional amendments related to MA63, Ahmad Johnie Zawawi (Igan-GPS) said it was to restore the status of Sabah and Sarawak as Malaysia’s allies, as enshrined in MA63.

“It is to strengthen the position of Sarawak and Sabah in Malaysia, to ensure harmony and unity among the people of this country,” he said.

Ahmad said the amendment to article 6(3)(a) of the Sarawak Constitution 2022, which changed the title of chief minister to premier, was the right step to differentiate and uphold Sarawak’s sovereignty as one of the regions in the formation of Malaysia.

“It is illogical and inappropriate if Sarawak still uses the chief minister title like other states such as Malacca and Penang when Sarawak’s status in the Federal Constitution is equivalent to the Federation of Malaya,” he said.

He said the amendment was not just a cosmetic change in the position name but is a manifestation, confidence and struggle to restore Sarawak to its rightful status as a partner in the formation of Malaysia.

The sitting continues tomorrow. – Bernama, March 1, 2022.