KOTA KINABALU: Sabah and Sarawak, with 56 of the 222 Parliament seats available, will remain an influential force in the formation of a federal government amid speculation that Bornean states would lose their kingmaker role in the next general election, says Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal (pic).
The Parti Warisan president said speculation that the two states might lose influence or could be left out if national-based coalition parties obtain their own simple majority did not change the role of the two regions under the federation.
Shafie said that with their combined seats, they would remain in a commanding position for the formation of the federal government with other national coalitions or parties.
“Sabah and Sarawak have a substantial number of people in votes and seats, which I think makes the question of not involving us way out. I believe it's not so easy in politics,” he said.
“Of course, such talk is a concern to us because we are trying to build an inclusive nation that involves all regions of the country,” he said when asked in a BFM radio interview about Parti Bangsa Malaysia president Datuk Larry Sung's speculation that the Barisan and Perikatan alliance could win enough seats at the next general election to form the federal government without relying on Bornean parties.
Shafie, who is the Semporna MP and state opposition leader, said that as far as Warisan is concerned, they are ready to work with any federal government.
“We made it clear to them: we have to be very consistent in our stance. In the peninsula, we can work with any government to ensure that it's for the country's sake,” he said.
Furthermore, Shafie said that the two Borneo states are partners in the federation and any federal government should include them, as reflected in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and the Constitution.
He said that was one reason both Sabah and Sarawak have pushed for the reinstatement of the one-third representation in Parliament, which was lost following Singapore's exit in 1965 when its parliamentary seats were added to Malaya, giving them the majority.
Shafie said that it was important for everyone to understand that the formation of Malaysia was not because of race or the number of seats but because of the needs coming from all sections of society in this country.
“It was laid out in MA63, it's quite clearly spelt out on the rights and the needs of the people in this country.
“So basically, when elections come, people may claim we don't need Sabah and Sarawak, but we must also realise we're in one country anyway,” he said, adding that people must realise how important building a nation is.
“It's not because of numbers. It's not because of anything else, race and religion; it's because of needs,” he added.
