Analyst calls out NGOs’ ‘colonial mentality’ over East Malaysian push for seats

 

James Chin of the University of Tasmania said the parliamentary seats previously held by Singapore should have been given to Sabah and Sarawak, ‘but it did not happen’. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

A political analyst has accused certain NGOs of having a “colonial mentality” for suggesting that Sabah and Sarawak push for greater representation in the Senate, instead of focussing on securing one-third of the seats in the Dewan Rakyat.

James Chin said some of these NGOs had gone to Kuching and Kota Kinabalu and held roadshows to tell the people that they should “forget about the Dewan Rakyat”, and that the Dewan Negara was the “way to go”, The Borneo Post reported.

He said such proposals undermined the autonomy of East Malaysians.

“It’s like me going to Umno and saying, you guys are all wrong. A better way is this way,” the University of Tasmania professor was quoted as saying.

Chin also said the political class in Sabah and Sarawak overwhelmingly supported one-third representation in the Dewan Rakyat, which is said to have more legislative power and influence

He said it was crucial for the two Borneo states to hold one-third of the seats in the Dewan Rakyat to rectify historical wrongs.

Following Singapore’s exit from Malaysia in 1965, the parliamentary seats it held should have been redistributed to Sabah and Sarawak, but because this did not happen, it left East Malaysia underrepresented in the national legislature, he said.

“Just like (how) the constitution amendment bill is meant to correct historical wrongs, I do not see what is the controversy about correcting the ‘historical wrong’ of 1965,” he said.

James Chin.

Chin said a larger representation in the Dewan Rakyat would empower East Malaysia and reset federal-state relations.

He said East Malaysia holds only 25% of the parliamentary seats, which limited its influence in federal decision-making, adding that “the real power lies in the numbers”.

The Dewan Rakyat’s present make-up allows 148 of the 166 MPs from Peninsular Malaysia to push through constitutional amendments.

Last month, deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof said Sabah and Sarawak can only be allocated one-third of parliamentary seats after the 16th general election.

He said multiple legal aspects needed to be studied before the relevant amendments can be tabled, and their implementation can only be finalised after the nationwide polls.

Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg was previously reported to have said the allocation of one-third of the Dewan Rakyat seats to the East Malaysian states would prevent the federal government from trying to nullify the MA63 provisions on its own. - FMT