Mustapha (left) presents a token of appreciation to Ramlan.

KOTA KINABALU (Sept 22): The Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Division (BHESS) has begun discussions with the Election Commission (EC) on the proposed increase in parliamentary seats for the two states.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said he led a BHESS delegation on a courtesy visit to EC chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun at the EC office in Putrajaya today to discuss the direction and mechanisms for implementing the proposal.

“The meeting followed developments at the federal government level, including the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63) meeting here on Sept 11, which noted that the matter had been discussed by the Cabinet,” he said.

Mustapha said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had indicated that there was justification for increasing the proportion of parliamentary seats held by Sabah and Sarawak, subject to further discussions with the EC.

Currently, Sabah and Sarawak have a combined 56 of the 222 Dewan Rakyat seats, or about 25 per cent. The proposal has sought to increase their combined share to 35 per cent.

Mustapha said discussions focused on the constitutional, legal and technical considerations involved, including electoral constituency delimitation, required data and arrangements for engagement between the government, EC and relevant stakeholders.

He stressed that the proposal was not merely about increasing the number of seats, but also about strengthening Sabah and Sarawak’s representation and voice in Parliament in keeping with the original spirit of Malaysia’s formation and the implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

He said BHESS would continue working with the EC to ensure any follow-up action was carried out in an orderly manner, in accordance with the Federal Constitution and the law, while respecting the commission’s jurisdiction.

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