One third seats deeply rooted in MA63 conditions

KUCHING: The idea of one-third of parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak remains a deeply rooted principle tied to the historical Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

Political analyst Dr Lee Kuok Tiung said this notion has become the subject of political debate.

“The MA63 is an international agreement. Issues such as the allocation of parliamentary seats, revenue sharing, and autonomy in immigration and other matters are deeply rooted in the conditions set by MA63.

“The importance of MA63 remains crucial in discussions regarding the status and rights of Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia today,” said Dr Lee.

He said perhaps it is true that there is no provision in the Federal Constitution that clearly states that one-third of parliamentary seats must be allocated to Sabah and Sarawak, nor is there any provision that states the peninsula can have less or more than two-thirds of the total parliamentary seats.

“However, MA63 is not just any ‘historical agreement’ that was signed in the past, which can be altered according to current needs through new agreements, much less by the discretion of current leaders.

“The Cobbold Commission Report and MA63 form the foundation of the understanding of the terms agreed upon for the formation of the Federation of Malaysia.

“There should be no sudden questioning of the consensus or principles of mutual agreement that were achieved,” he pointed out.

At the time of Malaysia’s formation, Dr Lee said that Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore (before leaving in 1965) were promised a significant number of parliamentary seats as part of efforts to ensure they had sufficient representation in the federal system.

“This was seen as a way to protect the interests of these territories, especially considering their geographical and economic differences compared to Peninsular Malaysia.

“No one should suddenly question these two documents, which form the principle of balancing the interests of the Borneo territories in the formation of Malaysia.

“Let’s not forget the famous saying of late Tun Datuk Patinggi Temenggong Jugah Barieng, ‘Let Malaysia not be like a sugarcane, sweet in the beginning and bland towards the end’,” he said.

Dr Lee said it does not necessarily require a constitutional amendment to increase the number of parliamentary seats in Sabah and Sarawak or to reduce the number of seats in the peninsula to achieve this one-third ratio.

“It can be done simply through a re-delineation exercise by the EC,” said Dr Lee.