Hajiji agrees to push for one-third of Dewan Rakyat seats

 

Chief minister Hajiji Noor (centre) speaking to reporters with PBS president Maximus Ongkili (left) and STAR president Jeffrey Kitingan in Kota Kinabalu today.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor supports the call for Sabah and Sarawak to have more seats in Parliament.

Hajiji said the strong proportion of Dewan Rakyat seats was among the chief reasons that Sabah and Sarawak had agreed to the formation of Malaysia in 1963.

“We will pursue this. We want the East Malaysian states to get at least one-third representation in the Dewan Rakyat,” he told reporters after a Gabungan Rakyat Sabah meeting here today.

Among those present at the meeting were Parti Bersatu Sabah president Maximus Ongkili, who is minister for Sabah and Sarawak affairs.

Ongkili said it was best that the respective state legislative assemblies of Sabah and Sarawak debate this matter in order to make a stronger push to the Election Commission (EC) on the matter.

Yesterday, Ongkili told the Dewan Rakyat that those calling for the creation of more parliamentary seats in Sabah and Sarawak should take their demand to the EC.

He also suggested that Sabah and Sarawak MPs discuss this demand and take it up with the EC “for further action”.

Five Bornean MPs had earlier called for at least one-third of Dewan Rakyat seats to be from Sabah and Sarawak.

Currently, the two states hold one quarter, or 56 of 222 seats, in the Dewan Rakyat. Of the 56 parliamentary seats, Sabah has 25 and Sarawak 31. - FMT