Abdul Karim welcomed the issue of one-third of parliamentary seats as a national agenda

KUCHING, 17 Sept: Chief Explanatory Officer of the United People's Party (UPR), Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, welcomed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's position to see a third of parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak as a national agenda.

He said that the approach is important because the position has to do with the foundations of Malaysia's formation as well as the trust inherited by previous leaders.

"The Prime Minister wants this to be seen as a national agenda, not just something that MPs or those from Sabah and Sarawak are demanding", he said.

He said so when asked to comment on the matter at the launch of Borneo Jazz Festival 2026 here, today.

He said the issue should be seen from a broader perspective, particularly to ensure that future generations' interests are preserved.

He said the one-third position was also closely related to the representation arrangements at the time of Malaysia's formation in 1963, which at that time included Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore.

Abdul Karim said that Sarawak will continue to fight for the issue to get proper attention at national level, in line with the spirit of Malaysia's formation.

"It is very good that the Prime Minister sees and talks about this as a national agenda to be seen now. We'll try to move in that direction", he said.