Legal Interpretation Of Seat Quotas For Sabah Sarawak To Be Finalised By May

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The Dewan Rakyat presently comprises 222 members, with Sabah and Sarawak allocated 25 and 31 seats respectively, for a combined 25.2% share of voting power. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: The legal interpretation of parliamentary seat quotas for Sabah and Sarawak, along with the definition of the continental shelf, is expected to be finalised in May, says deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof.
Fadillah, who is also the energy transition and water transformation minister, said the matter will be brought to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) implementation action council meeting for further deliberation.
He said the meeting will be attended by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg and Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor.
“They will discuss the way forward as the legal interpretations at the federal and state levels on these matters are inconsistent or unresolved.
“We will discuss the direction to be taken and, hopefully, a decision can be made.
“If not, further negotiations will be necessary,” Bernama quoted him as saying.
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. But after Singapore’s departure, its 15 seats were not redistributed to Sabah and Sarawak, causing the two Bornean states to lose their veto power.
Abang Johari was previously reported to have said the allocation of one-third of Dewan Rakyat seats to the East Malaysian states would prevent the federal government from trying to nullify the MA63 provisions on its own.
The Dewan Rakyat presently comprises 222 members, with Sabah and Sarawak allocated 25 and 31 seats respectively, for a combined 25.2% share of voting power.
Meanwhile, the continental shelf issue in Malaysia, particularly concerning Sabah and Sarawak, revolves around the states’ rights over offshore resources, including oil and gas.
Both Bornean states have long sought greater control and revenue from these resources, challenging federal jurisdiction over the seabed and subsoil. - FMT

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