KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia should consider adopting a proportional representation electoral system to prepare for future demographic changes, says Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul.
Speaking at the 2026 Parliamentary Harmony Symposium on Friday (June 26), Johari said this model would help safeguard minority representation in Parliament in an increasingly diverse Malaysian society.
"I believe the model is the best for our country. By the time we reach 2050, Malays and bumiputra will comprise 77.5% of the population.
"As such, where are the minorities going to be? There will be no constituencies where they will have a majority, and the probability of them having representation in Parliament will be smaller.
"What will happen if their voices are not being heard? This is my worry," he said in his officiating speech.
The symposium was organised by the Secretariat of the Malaysia All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPGM) on Racial and Religious Harmony, chaired by Bangi MP Syahredzan Johan.
Meanwhile, Johari said efforts to improve national harmony must focus on long-term solutions rather than short-term political considerations.
He said discussions on unity should not be limited to present-day concerns but must instead anticipate the country’s future challenges.
"When we talk about harmony, we are looking at what will happen to our country in five years, 25 years, 50 years, or even 100 years from now.
"As someone who has spent about 23 years in Parliament, now that I sit in the Speaker’s chair, my concerns grow with each passing day. Not fear, but concern," he said.
He also said Malaysia’s population diversity was far more complex than often perceived, noting that the country is home to 77 ethnic groups.
As such, the central challenge moving forward would be ensuring all communities understand their roles while continuing to live together harmoniously as a nation, he said.
"Peninsular Malaysia has a population of 28 million made up of four major ethnic groups: Malays, Chinese, Indians and the Orang Asli.
"But Sarawak alone has 40 sub-ethnic groups and Sabah has 33 ethnic groups. So when you look at it, Malaysia has 77 ethnic groups.
"So how do we live together as one nation? That is the biggest challenge we are facing."
