KUALA LUMPUR: The Madani Government is intent on increasing the number of parliamentary seats in Sarawaks as soon as possible, says says Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil."
The Communications Minister said the Cabinet discussed the matter during its latest meeting, with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim pushing for the process to be expedited.
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He said this to reporters on Sunday (Aug 9) after launching the "Ekspresi Jalur Gemilang" campaign in his parliamentary constituency of Pantai Dalam.
"At the most recent Cabinet meeting, this matter was raised, and the Prime Minister asked the Election Commission to prepare an updated report so we can implement it.
"The Prime Minister is committed to implementing it and informed the Cabinet that some processes require the Election Commission's involvement," said Fahmi.
Sarawak currently holds 31 parliamentary seats while Sabah has 25 out of the 222 total seats in Parliament.
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On Wednesday (Aug 6), Gabungan Parti Sarawak secretary-general Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the upcoming Sarawak state election should incorporate 17 new state seats proposed under the Election Commission's redelineation exercise.
Nanta Linggi noted that adding 17 new seats would increase the state's total state seats from 82 to 99, serving as the foundation for expanding Sarawak's parliamentary constituencies in coming years.
Securing a one-third representation for Sabah and Sarawak ensures that any constitutional amendment or law affecting the interests of the Borneo states cannot be passed in Parliament without their support.
Regarding the upcoming Melaka state election, Fahmi said Pakatan Harapan remains open to seat cooperation with Barisan Nasional.
"Since we do not yet know when the state legislative assembly will be dissolved or when the election and campaign period will take place, party-level preparations involve identifying candidates, identifying seats and holding discussions with all parties, including our partners from Barisan," he said.
Fahmi added that Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi have both expressed openness to inter-party negotiations.
He noted that PKR Vice-President Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution and Pakatan Election Director Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari will lead the coalition's formal discussions.
On Saturday (Aug 8), Ahmad Zahid stated that Barisan remained open to seat negotiation or exchange for the Melaka state election, provided the process remained sincere and preserved each party's seat quota.
