KUALA LUMPUR: A special committee has been proposed under the Technical Committee of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63) to discuss increasing the number of parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Sabah and Sarawak) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said the proposal would be submitted to Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, who oversees legal affairs.
"As a Sabahan, I certainly want Sabah and Sarawak to have more seats.
"We need to increase the number of seats in keeping with the spirit of the Constitution under MA63, to ensure Sabah and Sarawak have adequate representation and that their voices are heard in this House," he said when winding up debate on the Supply Bill 2027 for the ministry in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (Oct 26).
On the implementation of MA63, Mustapha said the Madani government had achieved the best record to date, having resolved 12 matters under the agreement, bringing the total number settled to 16.
"These include three issues agreed upon at the MTPMA63 meeting on Sept 11, namely the federal financial obligations, an increase in public service posts in Sabah and Sarawak, and the Borneonisation of the federal public service in both states.
"This achievement shows that negotiations through official channels continue to yield progress. However, the government recognises that several issues remain unresolved and will continue efforts to address them through the established mechanisms," he said.
On the timeline for resolving outstanding issues, Mustapha said five matters, including oil royalty payments, required decisions by a high-level committee comprising Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg and Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
He said the committee's meeting date would depend on the needs and availability of the three leaders.
"Proposals concerning royalty rates, petroleum cash payments and the basis for calculating revenue cannot be considered finalised at this stage.
"The government will continue discussions to find solutions consistent with the Federal Constitution and the existing legal framework," he said. - Bernama
