Lok Sabha: Government begins talks on adding seats to Sabah, Sarawak parliament with SPR

KUALA LUMPUR, 5 Oct: The Federal Government has held preliminary discussions with the Election Commission (ECC) on increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats for Sabah and Sarawak.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Sabah and Sarawak) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said he also proposed setting up a special committee under the technical committee to detail the implementation method of the additional seats.

"I have held preliminary discussions with the SPR to get various inputs and what action should be taken afterwards.

"I also suggested that a special committee be set up under the technical committee to elaborate on how it will be implemented, perhaps I would suggest that it be chaired together with the Minister of Law and myself. This is just a preliminary discussion", he said in the Lok Sabha today.

He said so in response to an additional question by Datuk Willie bin Mongin (Sarawak Party Congress - Borneo Summit) on the demand that Sabah and Sarawak have at least 35 percent of the seats in the Lok Sabha.

Mustapha in, meanwhile, said the issue of increasing the number of members of the Dewan Rakyat from Sabah and Sarawak had been discussed at the Meeting of the Malaysia Agreement Implementation Action Council 1963 (MTP MA63), technical committee as well as the Ministerial Assembly.

He said the matter will be further discussed and monitored in the upcoming meeting of the technical committee under MTP MA63. -TVS