GE16 forecast shows why Sabah, S’wak need a third of seats, says SUPP man

 Kelvin Hii describes the possibility of BN-PN forming the government without Sabah and Sarawak parties as a wake-up call for East Malaysia.

SUPP Youth vice-chairman Kelvin Hii said there should never be a situation where Sarawak and Sabah can be disregarded because their support is not required to form a government. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA:

A youth leader of a Gabungan Parti Sarawak component has expressed concern over a pollster’s projection that a Barisan Nasional-Perikatan Nasional (BN-PN) alliance could form the government in the next general election (GE16) without the support of parties in Sabah and Sarawak.

Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Youth vice-chairman Kelvin Hii described the possibility as a wake-up call for East Malaysia, fearing its interests would be sidelined, Borneo Post reported.

Hii said it also showed the importance of allocating a third of Dewan Rakyat seats to Sabah and Sarawak to ensure that their interests and rights are protected, regardless of which party leads Putrajaya.

“Unfortunately, Sarawak and Sabah currently hold only 56 of the 222 parliamentary seats, representing approximately 25% of the total.

“The latest assessment therefore serves as another wake-up call that this imbalance must be addressed and the rights that rightfully belong to East Malaysia must be restored.

“There should never be a situation where a federal government can disregard Sarawak and Sabah simply because their support is no longer required to form a government,” the SUPP Youth leader added.

Hii was referring to Ilham Centre’s projection that in GE16, a BN-PN alliance could sweep up to 122 parliamentary seats in West Malaysia alone. A simple majority is reached at 121 seats.

Hii maintained that Sabah and Sarawak were equal partners alongside Malaya in Malaysia’s formation, and that the two East Malaysian states must be accorded the respect they deserve.

When Malaysia was formed in 1963, Malaya was allocated 105 of the 160 seats in the Dewan Rakyat (representing 65% of the voting power in the House), with Sarawak holding 24 seats, Sabah 16, and Singapore 15.

This denied Malaya the two-thirds majority required to amend the Federal Constitution. However, after Singapore’s departure, its 15 seats were not redistributed to Sabah and Sarawak, causing the Bornean states to lose their veto power.

Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg previously said that allocating East Malaysia a third of the seats in the Dewan Rakyat would prevent any federal government from trying to nullify the provisions of the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

However, deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof said Sabah and Sarawak can only be allocated a third of parliamentary seats after GE16. - FMT